- Nearly 75% of all workers want the freedom to work remotely from home or somewhere else away from the office, yet most workers don’t have the option. This desire is so strong that 1 in 5 workers are willing to relinquish 5% of their salary to work offsite 1–2 days a week.
- Flexible hours are deemed most essential to having a successful business in the future, and rated higher by a significant margin than health insurance benefits.
- Small business owners are more than 4 times as likely as others to be able to work remotely "all the time." But more than 25% still believe job duties demand that employees be in the office.
- While many bosses still don’t like the idea of employees working offsite, approximately one third of bosses in the U.S. are receptive to having employees participate virtually by phoning in to meetings.
- Freedom from rigid office hours by having more control over schedules is what employers and employees like most about Web commuting―even more than saving time and money on transportation.
- Female entrepreneurs are 50% more likely to allow Web commuting from home compared to their male counterparts―perhaps themselves recognizing the need for work/life equilibrium.
Business advantages aside, a location independent working environment can take some getting used to, as council members attest. "When we launched our company, working full-time from home or elsewhere wasn’t an option," said pollster and political commentator Kellyanne Conway, whose firm conducted the three-country survey. "Even today, we benefit from having an actual office with staffers and an infrastructure. However, I essentially work full-time from home and spend a lot of time on the road—I’m with my family, I’m there for my clients and I’m fully productive."
"Every company, particularly in the small and mid-sized business space (SMB), is looking for ways to do more with less, and Web Commuting offers a huge advantage," said Gene Marks, noted small business consultant and author, and member of the Worldwide Workplace Council. "I know this from experience - at my own company, we shut down our office and now everybody works from home, or wherever they happen to be. We spend more time with family, and we’re much more productive. On a personal note, I’ve never had to send an ‘out-of-office’ message." Marks employs a range of Web commuting technologies in his operation and helps other companies implement the right tools and policies.
"From our experience developing online technologies that enable Web commuting, we understand the huge impact this practice is having on every aspect of work and life," said Brett Caine, general manager of Citrix Online. "It gives individuals the ability to be equally productive whether they’re in the office or a continent away, just as it gives companies the ability to change the economics of their business, by slashing infrastructure costs and hiring the best talent regardless of where they live. By combining the latest data with expert advice, this report brings a fresh and timely perspective to this critical issue."
The "Web Commuting Imperative" suggests that while individuals and companies alike are embracing the practice in ever - greater numbers, this evolving workplace model will escalate as newer Web commuting technologies become more integrated into the business mainstream, and employees count on them more. To assist these companies, the report suggests best practices for companies to follow as they increasingly adopt a Web commuting business model.
