Telecommuting, which brings work closer to the employee's residence, can take the form of working at home or at a nearby telework center. There are three main issues driving public interest in telecommuting-the environment, economics, and quality of life. Aside from the use of fossil fuels, a finite resource, clean air is a matter of grave concern in most metropolitan areas. If employers adopt telecommuting as part of their overall management strategy, they contribute to the improvement of air quality, the reduction of future environmental risks, and the conservation of energy resources. In addition, companies are finding that do not need to increase office space while increasing staff if there is a telecommuting program in place.
Telecommuting holds the potential for increasing quality of life by decreasing employee commutes.
Employees have more time to devote to their families, community projects, volunteerism, and other civic activities. In this tight labor market, that can also facilitate recruiting. It also reduces turnover because flexible work environments make employees reluctant to leave. Flexibility is also appealing to potential employees. It makes recruiting efforts easier as the employer can appeal to a large labor pool not dependent upon a particular geographical location.