As the nature of work itself changes and workers, particularly women, are demanding more flexibility in their work schedules, companies' have begun to realize much is to be gained from supporting flexible working models, including the teleworking model. Increased job satisfaction and retention of its female employees has a direct, positive impact on companies' bottom line. Business itself has moved from local to global, which has contributed to breaking down barriers to employees working from different places, taking advantage of increased mobility or to meet worker's needs. The work model also is evolving from hierarchal to flat, from departments to cross functional, and from individuals to teams, who may no longer produce a widget, but develop an outcome through shared ideas and collaboration across cities or continents. Today, companies have the technology to allow workers to collaborate simultaneously and effectively from different locations.
Teleworking allows the worker flexibility and the opportunity for self management.
Generally both productivity and job satisfaction increase. Some managers are still skeptical about workers they can't see, although they might not be able to see them in different parts of a building either. Meetings must be planned in advance and workers must work a little harder to compensate for lack of face time and visibility. But most women love teleworking as it allows them to take off to drop children at school, take them to dance class or attend parent teacher conferences or prepare dinner but still put in a full work day by making up those hours either very early in the morning, before their family wakes up or later in the evening after their children are in bed. If you have a job in which you don't interact too intensely with others at work, such as being a writer, or if you interact mostly with people outside the company, such as a public relations professional might, you may be a good candidate for teleworking.