One of our main "go to" sources for insights and information on distributed work is the Telework Research Network, run by Kate Lister and Tom Hamish. In addition to deep knowledge on the topic, they are also data intensive - much appreciated here at Small Business Labs.
So we were very excited to read through their latest research report - The State of Telework in the U.S. It describes who's teleworking and why they are teleworking. In addition to insights and analysis, the report is full of interesting data.
The key finding is surprisingly few people consider their home their primary workplace. Only 2.9 million employees (2.3% of the workforce) consider their home their primary place of work.
Because a study objective was to understand employer and employee telework patterns, self-employed are excluded from this data.
A much larger group - 24% of employed Americans - do some work from home. But I think this is also surprisingly low.
Given the clear benefits of telework (outlined in the report), these numbers are disappointing in addition to being surprising. So get out there and tell your bosses and employees to telework more:)!
About.com's Reasons Why Teleworking Belongs in Your Future is an excellent summary of the report and the Telework Research Network blog is a must read for those interested in this topic.
One opposition to teleworking may be the fact that there are so many distractions. I know when I work from home that is something I struggle with.
Posted by: Retail Paging | July 18, 2011 at 02:43 PM