Research Supports Telecommuting

A study recently published in the Journal of Applied Psychology found support for the benefits of telecommuting. The study pulled together the results of 46 independent studies examinng telecommuting (find a summary of the research on ScienceDaily here).

According to the author of the study:
"Autonomy is a major factor in worker satisfaction and this rings true in our analysis. We found that telecommuters reported more job satisfaction, less motivation to leave the company, less stress, improved work-family balance, and higher performance ratings by supervisors."

The study provides evidence to support what those that telecommute already know: telecommuting is a win-win work arrangement. The employee benefits from the flexibility that the arrangement allows, and the employer benefits by having a dedicated, high performing worker.

The study reported few negative aspects of telecommuting, and those that do exist can be eliminated by setting some guidelines and taking appropriate actions to avoid problems. For example, the study found some challenges in work relationships for telecommuters who worked from home for 3 or more full days each week. However, work relationships with a telecommuter's boss and/or coworkers can be maintained with some specific efforts such as regular communication and productive in person meetings.