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(NC) There’s no place like home. Just ask one of the 1.7 million Canadians who do all or some of their job from home. We know they avoid long commutes, but what are the other benefits?
A survey by Staples Advantage, the business-to-business division of Staples, found that telecommuters feel better, and work better, when working from home. They report having less stress and higher productivity, and even say they eat healthier when teleworking. More than 80 per cent say they now maintain better work-life balance.
Employers also like the benefits, including the cost-savings. The Canadian Telework Association suggests that an employer can save about $2,000 per teleworker per year on office space.
If organizations want to make it work, they have to support their workers, wherever they are. The survey did highlight room for improvement. Most telecommuters said their companies don’t provide furniture (87 per cent), office equipment (60 per cent) or supplies (57 per cent). Only one per cent of respondents received support with ergonomic set-up, and 44 per cent give their current office chair a “C” grade or lower.
At the heart of teleworking is technology. In addition to communication tools and access to company networks, employees need training and support to help them deal with security and data backup. Nearly one in three telecommuters surveyed say they never back up their data—leaving themselves and their companies vulnerable to data loss.
In the end it seems home is where the happy is. The Staples Advantage survey respondents said they would give up their favourite TV show (54 percent), forgo an extra hour of sleep (48 per cent), or take a pay cut (40 percent) rather than stop telecommuting.
credit: www.newscanada.com
