Yahoo ignores benefits of telecommuting

(MoneyWatch) The corporate world has always seemed somewhat suspicious of telework, and telecommuting policies that let employees work from home one or more days a week have always been won through hard-fought victories with management. Telework in general might have taken a major step backwards last week when Yahoo CEO Marissa Mayer announced that she was terminating all telework agreements at the embattled company.

According to a memo that was published by All Things D, Mayer wrote: "To become the absolute best place to work, communication and collaboration will be important, so we need to be working side-by-side." That's one of the usual arguments put forth by managers who are distrustful of telecommuting agreements -- they reduce collaboration and productivity. And Mayer clearly thinks that she needs all hands on deck to turn Yahoo around.

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That's easy for Mayer to say. She has built a nursery near her office, so she can bring her new baby to work. But some telework advocates worry that Yahoo's bold and very public about face on work-from-home policies will have a chilling effect on telecommuting across industries. If you are trying to get a telework agreement in your own office, or you need to justify the one you already have, here's some fodder to help the good fight:

- Counter to Mayer's logic, studies show that large companies with active telework programs are significantly more productive.

- Stanford University research shows that telework groups routinely outperform in-office groups by 15 percent, and with a higher quality of work.

- Network World points out that The Telework Research Network has a study that shows there's the potential for $500 billion in yearly savings across all industries when you consider real estate, electricity, turnover and other costs.

- Finally, 84 of the top 100 companies on Forbes 2013 list offer telecommuting benefits.

Photo courtesy of Flickr user Tina Lawson

[TransparentBusiness]

One innovative solution to Yahoo's telecommuting woes is a web-based application called www.TransparentBusiness.com. This powerful tool -- currently in use in 96 countries -- was developed for the sole purpose of monitoring the activities of remote employees through supporting screenshots taken every 3 minutes. Automatic time logging and real time project tracking allow managers to see which employees are online at any given time and what projects they are working on. This level of transparency creates a culture of accountability and allows Yahoo to differentiate between the productive employees and the dead weight. Yahoo can use this information to improve its telework program.

[J_Michael]

Here's another tip to consider when making the case for building successful telecommuting programs that promote productive environments: Ensure technology and furniture selections available to employees are the same whether they are working in the office or from home, and do this by integrating IT and HR into the process. In a recent survey from Staples Advantage (http://staplesadvantage.newshq.businesswire.com/press-release/staples-advantage/survey-shows-telecommuting-provides-better-worklife-balance-benefits), business decision makers and employees weighed in on telecommuting programs and agreed that while telecommuting is mutually beneficial and ultimately leads to less stress and happier employees, there is still work to be done. For example, 59 percent of telecommuters put critical and sensitive information at risk by not using the company's data backup system - and many cited IT issues as one of the greatest challenges of working from home. In addition, only 17 percent of business decision makers offer furniture selections for at-home workers. By enhancing telecommuting programs with technology and furniture options - including products and services, easy ordering and delivery - and allowing employees to work with the HR and IT departments to get properly equipped, businesses can foster productive at-home work environments while enhancing employee satisfaction and realizing cost savings.

[edyang1973]

There are PLENTY of tools now to make remote collaboration a breeze, much more so than even five years ago.

Dropbox, Google Docs, Google Hangouts, Skype, screen sharing like Join.me, productivity measurement tools like MySammy http://www.mysammy.com, remote time card iPhone apps, the good ol' fashioned Terminal Server or GotomyPC.

Not to mention with smartphones and Blackberries (the few who have them anyway), people are almost always at the employers' beck and call anyway. Considering studies like the ones in this article show that most telecommuters put in more hours of work than office staff, maybe one day employees will all be longing for the days when they could actually leave work at work.

[_Continuum]

I think Marissa Mayer has failed to understand how collaboration works. It can happen anywhere - in an office setting or at home. With advancements in technology, both productivity and innovation is possible. I work for Continuum, a global design and innovation consultancy. We collaborate on a global scale every day. In and out of the office, we help our clients innovate in great ways. My colleague Mark Bates wrote a blog post entitled "Yahoo! and the Misperception of Collaboration." This post touches on how we interact and collaborate as human beings and this really hasn't changed for centuries. What has changed is technology. You can read more here: http://continuuminnovation.com/yahoo-and-the-misperception-of-collaboration/

[basbury]

Having been the CEO of a major org. employing a lot of folks I can tell you that this 'idea' is not as simple as it appears. Obviously, a lot depends on the type of org. and the 'day to day' business you're trying to run. However, as a 'human resource' issue 'not all people are created equal'. Some folks are 'self starters', other folks are semi lazy and others need direction and over sight. Being able to call small meetings 'on the fly' is an integral part of a 'living' org. Folks need to be able to interact in real time --see and hear problems and issues being addressed by their colleagues and team leaders and benefit from the exchange. Orgs. have rookies, veterans, experts and 'loyal' employees. Day to day an effective manager should 'interact' with each person--if possible, and build relationships consisting of trust and respect. Every day is 'team building' day, developing the 'spirit' of your org. and enhancing the morale of your people. These 'team building' efforts are difficult to do when folks are 'scattered' and interacting electronically. The 'wisdom' of your valuable veterans, experts and 'rising stars' can best be shared when folks are able to work together --face to face--on a day to day basis. (my humble opinion--for what it's worth :) ).