IT Management Slideshow:
Telecommuting Has a Long Way to Go

Far more employees are qualified to work from home than the number who actually do so, according to the report The State of Telework in the U.S. from the Telework Research Network. If this is the case, then what – or, more specifically, who – is holding them back? Don’t blame the highest levels of senior management, which sees benefits from telecommuting with respect to savings on office space and other costs. Employees aren’t providing pushback either, as they view these arrangements as beneficial to the work-life balance equation. No, it’s actually departmental managers (like you) who often won’t allow for buy-in, according to Telework. “It’s clear that the majority (of bosses) is not ready to make the organizational culture shift that’s required to manage a remote workforce,” according to a summary from the report’s authors, Kate Lister and Tom Harnish. “The issue of mistrust – ‘how do I know they’re working? ’is huge and not easily overcome. Management attitudes that were born in the days of sweatshops and typing pools still dominate.” The report – compiled via collection of data from agencies such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics and Office of Personnel Management, as well as independent survey research – also presents interesting breakouts on demographic trends of those who telecommute. Here are 10 highlights from the report: