Over a third of employees who work for employers that do not have a telecommuting program would be interested in telecommuting, especially those in clerical, administrative and professional positions. The principle reasons why they are interested in telecommuting is that it would save time, reduce stress, and save money. Employer Telephone Survey Seventeen percent of employers in the Baltimore region report that they allow some of their employees to telecommute. Among the employers with telecommuting employees, there is an average of 7.5 telecommuters per organization. Over three fourths of employers with telecommuting programs indicate their programs are informal, and a similar percentage say their informal programs are simply a verbal understanding between managers and employers.
Employers are satisfied overall with their telecommuting programs.
Seventy-five percent report that they are either satisfied or very satisfied. The top reasons employers cite for being satisfied are increased productivity, increased business flexibility, improved employee satisfaction, providing a more flexible work arrangement for the employee, improving employee retention, and reducing business costs. Almost one in five employers with telecommuting programs have plans to expand their programs, with almost half of this group planning to expand their programs within the next six months. Over half of the employers with telecommuting programs and expansion plans do not foresee future limitations to telecommuting growth in their organization. Only two percent of employers that presently do not allow telecommuting indicate that they have plans to start a program in the near future.