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Tag: telecommute

  • 6 in 10 Workers Would Take a Pay Cut for Remote Work

    6 in 10 Workers Would Take a Pay Cut for Remote Work

    A new survey is revealing just how important remote work is to many employees, with 61% willing to take a pay cut to stay remote.

    GoodHire conducted a poll of 3,500 American workers to better understand the current state of the workplace, especially in light of the changes brought on by the pandemic. The results show just how much remote work has become the new normal.

    Some 68% of Americans would like to continue working remotely, while 61% would even be willing to take a pay cut to do so. Shockingly, some workers would even be willing to take as much as a 50% cut in pay to stay remote. 60% would move to a new city for a job that offered remote work options, while 70% would give up benefits for remote work.

    In what should be a warning to many companies, 45% said they would immediately quit or start looking for another job if they were forced back to the office full-time. A whopping 74% said they neededcontinued remote work options to remain at their current job, demonstrating just how much people’s lives have changed over the last year and a half.

    In a market where workers are already in demand, some 74% of workers believe a failure to allow remote work will hurt a company’s ability to attract top talent.

    GoodHire’s poll is a sobering reality check for companies that are insisting on returning to the pre-pandemic normal, and should be a factor in companies’ decisions moving forward.

  • Over One Third of Workers Will Quit if WFH Ends

    Over One Third of Workers Will Quit if WFH Ends

    A recent poll is bad news for employers wanting to resume in-office work post-pandemic, with 35% saying they’ll quit if work-from-home (WFH) ends.

    WFM has become the new normal for a large percentage of companies during the pandemic. What happens post-pandemic varies greatly from one company to another. Some companies have fully embraced remote work, and many others have committed to hybrid work options. Still others, however, are determined to bring employees back in-house as soon as possible.

    Employers in the latter category may be in for a rude awakening, according to a poll posted by a Blind user. Blind is an anonymous network of professionals, providing a safe way to exchange ideas, information, tips, and more.

    According to the poll, some 35% of users say they would quit if their employers get rid of WFH. Another 11% say they have already negotiated for WFH on a permanent basis. Only 54% said they would return to the office regardless.

    The poll breaks down the results by company, and it’s particularly bad news for Amazon. The company released a memo last week emphasizing its “office-centric culture,” and its intention to bring its employees back to the office by early fall. According to the Blind poll, 43% of Amazon employees will quit once WFM disappears.

    The poll also shows a rise over a LiveCareer poll in January, when 29% of employees said they would quit if WFH was off the table.

    With WFH increasing in popularity, employees would do well to take note and make adjustments.

  • Salesforce and JPMorgan Unloading Office Space in Remote Work Transition

    Salesforce and JPMorgan Unloading Office Space in Remote Work Transition

    Salesforce and JPMorgan are the latest big-name companies looking to downsize their office space as remote work becomes the norm.

    The global pandemic has fueled a major transition, making remote work and telecommuting the new normal for a large portion of the workforce. Many companies are embracing this permanently, making remote work or hybrid work their default method moving forward.

    One market that has suffered as a result is commercial real estate, with many companies no longer needing the vast amount of office space as before. Dropbox recently made headlines when it sold its San Francisco headquarters for $1.08 billion.

    Salesforce and JPMorgan are the latest to join the trend, with The Wall Street Journal reporting that JPMorgan is marketing its 700,000 square feet of Manhattan office space. Meanwhile, Salesforce is listing space in one of its San Francisco buildings for rent.

    It remains to be seen how much the market will rebound but, at the current rate, it seems as though commercial real estate will forever be changed by the pandemic.

  • Upwork: Businesses Will Stick With Remote Work After Pandemic

    Upwork: Businesses Will Stick With Remote Work After Pandemic

    Upwork has released its Economist Report: One Year Remote, finding many companies will continue with remote work thanks to its benefits.

    The pandemic is attributed with forcing a decade of digital transformation in a year’s time. Companies large and small had to adapt quickly, and help employees work remotely. Many companies have embraced the change, committing to a remote or hybrid workforce moving forward.

    According to Upwork’s Dr. Adam Ozimek, the transition to remote work may be more successful than many companies and executives realize. One of the biggest benefits has been an increase in productivity.

    When workers are asked if productivity has gone up from working remotely, 61% say yes, and only 12.7% say no. While workers may be viewing their productivity in a self-serving light, Upwork’s survey of 1,000 hiring managers showed a positive view as well: 32.2% of hiring managers felt that overall productivity had gone up as of late April compared to the 22.5% that felt it had decreased.

    Another benefit has been the ability to relocate to less expensive areas. Upwork estimates some 23 million people planned to relocate, thanks to the freedom remote work offers.

    More companies are also open to the possibility of hybrid teams, made up of a combination of full-time and independent workers. The pandemic has helped many hiring managers become more comfortable with hiring independent freelancers, breaking down previous misconceptions and opening the door to a wider talent pool.

    Not surprisingly, reduced cost was another big factor. Upwork estimates that employees who commuted to work by car saved roughly $4,350 this past year. On average employees have been saved approximately nine days of commuting in just a year’s time.

    One of the most interesting findings of Upwork’s report is a greater understanding of perceived pain points and their true cause. In other words, some of the issues blamed on remote work are really a result of the pandemic, not remote work.

    Parents, for example, have likely had to balance work with interruptions from children. This is not a product of remote work, but rather a result of many schools having been closed due to COVID. In a post-pandemic situation, kids will be at school, and remote work will mean fewer interruptions.

    Upwork’s full report is well-worth a read and demonstrates the permanent effect this past year has had in transforming the workplace.

  • Remote Work IT Spending Will Hit $332.9 Billion In 2021

    Remote Work IT Spending Will Hit $332.9 Billion In 2021

    Gartner is predicting companies will spend some $332.9 billion on remote work IT in 2021 as the digital transformation continues.

    The coronavirus pandemic has sparked an unprecedented digital transformation, as organizations have turned to remote work, schools have turned to remote learning and individuals have had to rely on videoconferencing to stay in touch.

    That trend is expected to continue full force for the next several years. In fact, Gartner predicts businesses will have to accelerate their digital transformation by at least five years through 2024, as they continue to deal with a permanently altered workforce — one where remote work is part of the new reality.

    “There are a combination of factors pushing the devices market higher,” said John-David Lovelock, distinguished research vice president at Gartner.. “As countries continue remote education through this year, there will be a demand for tablets and laptops for students. Likewise, enterprises are industrializing remote work for employees as quarantine measures keep employees at home and budget stabilization allows CIOs to reinvest in assets that were sweated in 2020.”

    As a result, Gartner predicts remote work-related global IT spending will reach $332.9 billion in 2021, an increase of 4.9% from 2020.

    “Digital business represents the dominant technology trend in late 2020 and early 2021 with areas such as cloud computing, core business applications, security and customer experience at the forefront. Optimization initiatives, such as hyperautomation, will continue and the focus of these projects will remain on returning cash and eliminating work from processes, not just tasks,” said Mr. Lovelock.

    Gartner’s report is the latest evidence that remote work has become a permanent part of society, with workers continuing to demonstrate their preference for it.

  • 50% of Workers Would Choose Remote Work Over Vacation

    50% of Workers Would Choose Remote Work Over Vacation

    In further evidence of the rising popularity of remote work, a new poll shows that over 50% of workers would choose remote work over vacation.

    Office Depot conducted a survey of professionals to better understand the state of the remote workforce. Interestingly, while just under a third of workers were working remotely in March 2020, that number had increased to nearly 70% by May.

    While some workers prefer being in the office, it seems the majority not only prefer telecommuting, but would even go to extreme measures to keep doing it. In fact, only 25.2% percent of workers prefer to go back to the office. 50.2% prefer to keep working remotely, while 24.6% would like a mix of both.

    Most telling, however, is that 51.2% would even be willing to forgo vacation days in exchange for remote work.

    Office Depot’s poll is among a growing number of indicators of just how successful and accepted remote work has become, such as one showing that 29% of workers would quit their jobs before returning to the office.

    It’s clear that employers looking to attract the best and brightest will need to ensure some form of remote work as one of their standard benefits.

  • 29% of Professionals Will Quit Instead of Returning to Office

    29% of Professionals Will Quit Instead of Returning to Office

    Amid a global pandemic, remote work has become so popular that 29% of professionals will quit rather than return to the office.

    The coronavirus pandemic has forced record numbers of employees to work remotely. In many cases, companies have been surprised by the success of their remote work efforts and the corresponding productivity of their employees. A number of companies, including Twitter, Reddit, Dropbox, Microsoft, Facebook and others have committed to varying degrees of permanent remote work.

    Companies that have yet to permanently embrace telecommuting should take LiveCareer’s latest study to heart.

    At this point, we wanted to roll the dice and ask the respondents if they’d quit their job if not allowed to continue working remotely with their current employer—as many as 29% said, ‘YES.” That’s somewhat in line with Owl Labs’ 2020 report on the state of remote work that claims one in two people won’t return to jobs that don’t offer remote work after COVID-19.

    On top of that, a full 62% of remote staff also agree or strongly agree with the following statement: “In the future, I’ll give preference to employers that offer remote work.”

    These survey results should be a sobering wakeup call to companies insisting on resuming the status quo once the pandemic is over.

  • EU Working On ‘Right to Disconnect’ Legislation For Remote Workers

    EU Working On ‘Right to Disconnect’ Legislation For Remote Workers

    With unprecedented numbers of employees working remotely, the EU is working on legislation that protects workers’ “right to disconnect.”

    As the coronavirus pandemic spread across the globe, employees went home in record numbers to work remotely. While many employees have loved the opportunity and flexibility of working from home, doing so has come with its own challenges. Chief among those challenges has been increased blurring of the lines between home life and work, as well as the expectation employees are always available.

    The EU is looking to address the problem. According to Deutsche Welle, “lawmakers passed a non-binding resolution arguing that individuals have a fundamental ‘right to disconnect.’”

    “After months of teleworking, many workers are now suffering from negative side effects such as isolation, fatigue, depression, burnout, muscular or eye illnesses,” said Alex Agius Saliba, the Maltese politician who pushed the resolution. “The pressure to always be reachable, always available, is mounting, resulting in unpaid overtime and burnout.”

    The next step is for the full chamber to approve the measure. It can then be submitted to the commission and the individual EU member nations for a vote.

    It’s a safe bet this kind of legislation will become more common as remote work becomes the new status quo.

  • 76% of US CEOs Plan On Shrinking Office Space Due to Remote Work

    76% of US CEOs Plan On Shrinking Office Space Due to Remote Work

    Some 76% of US CEOs plan on reducing their office space footprint as a result of the ongoing transition to remote work amid the pandemic.

    As the coronavirus pandemic swept the globe, countless companies sent their employees home to work remotely. In many cases, the transition to remote work was far more successful than anticipated, leading some companies to make it a permanent part of their corporate culture. Even companies that plan on eventually returning to the office have had to push those plans back as COVID-19 has resurged.

    It appears the trend toward remote work is now impacting long-term decisions regarding corporate office space. Fortune, in collaboration with Deloitte, conducted a poll of 171 CEOs. The poll found that some 76% said they will need less office space moving forward, with 28% saying they would need a lot less space.

    Even more telling, 40% of the CEOs polled said that remote work had led to increased productivity, indicating their employees were likely happier working remotely. Conversely, 31% reported decreased productivity.

    The mixed results may be an indication that companies need to adopt multiple approaches moving forward, rather than a one-size-fits-all approach. Doing so could ensure maximum productivity from all workers.

  • Facebook Employees Can Work From Home Through July 2021

    Facebook Employees Can Work From Home Through July 2021

    Facebook joins the growing list of companies extending work from home policies amid the coronavirus pandemic.

    As the pandemic forced companies to send employees home to telecommute, the tech industry led the way in adapting to the new situation. Twitter was one of the first companies to change its policies to allow employees to work from home forever. At the time, Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg stated his belief that within five to 10 years, Facebook could see half of its positions become permanently remote.

    Now Facebook how joined Google in extending work from home policies well into next year. Whereas Google has said employees could work from home through June 2021, Facebook is extending their policy through July 2021.

    According to The Verge, Facebook spokesperson Nneka Norville said: “Based on guidance from health and government experts, as well as decisions drawn from our internal discussions about these matters, we are allowing employees to continue voluntarily working from home until July 2021. In addition, we are giving employees an additional $1,000 for home office needs.”

    At some point, as more and more companies continue to extend work from home policies, it’s only a matter of time before remote work becomes the new standard.

  • Amazon Extends Work From Home Policy

    Amazon Extends Work From Home Policy

    Amazon has extended its work from home policy, as the pandemic continues to pick up throughout the country.

    Amazon had previously slated October as the month when employees would return to the office. According to Reuters, Amazon has extended that by three months, now allowing employees to work from home until January 8, 2020.

    The change is more in harmony with other tech giants, some of whom have instituted permanent work from home policies. Others, like Amazon, have instituted telecommute policies in place for the rest of the year.

    The ongoing adjustments to work policies are further evidence of the long-lasting impact the pandemic is having on the economy, as well as fundamental changes it is having on what is considered a “normal” workforce.

  • Majority of Enterprise Will Keep Work-From-Home Options

    Majority of Enterprise Will Keep Work-From-Home Options

    Work-from-home is one of the biggest impacts of the coronavirus pandemic, and it appears its a change that is here to stay.

    As the pandemic swept the globe, companies big and small sent workers home to telecommute. Some even went so far as to provide budgets for their employees to buy what they needed for their home offices. Even as restrictions have eased up, many companies have decided to make work-from-home options a permanent option.

    According to a new S&P Global Market Intelligence survey, 67% of enterprises expect their work-from-home policies to extend permanently, or at least for the long-term. S&P Global surveyed 575 IT decision-makers across a range of industries.

    “As organizations are heading back to the office in the wake of COVID-19, it is important to quantify what changes materialized during these past few months as a potential indication for the future of work,” said Liam Eagle, Head of Voice of the Enterprise Research at 451 Research, part of S&P Global Market Intelligence. “Leveraging timely data from our flash survey capabilities can help us better understand these changes and overall market sentiment, while enabling organizations to make informed business decisions during times of uncertainty.”

    The survey found that only 19% of organizations intend to bring back employees as soon as possible, 25% in a month or more and 24% have no planned timeline. Not surprisingly, 79% see social distancing as the single biggest impediment to returning to normal office operations.

    An interesting side effect is an expected reduction in office space. Some 47% of companies said they are likely to reduce their physical office space as a result of the pandemic and the changing work landscape, with at least 20% planning to reduce their office space by as much as 25%.

    The survey is an interesting look at the long-term issues facing companies, and a barometer of just how much the pandemic has permanently changed the workplace.

  • Germany May Make Working From Home a Legal Right

    Germany May Make Working From Home a Legal Right

    German Labor Minister Hubertus Heil plans to put forth legislation that will make working from home a legal right, long after the coronavirus pandemic.

    As the pandemic has swept the globe, it has had a profound impact on businesses and organizations of all sizes. One of the biggest changes has been how employees work, with many working from home. Industry leaders have predicted at least some of these changes, including more flexible work-from-home policies, could be a permanent legacy of the pandemic, and it seems Minister Heil wants to help that happen.

    According to The Associated Press, Heil is going to unveil legislation that will require companies to gives workers whose jobs allow it the option to work from home if they want.

    “Everyone who wants to and whose job allows it should be able to work in a home office, even when the corona pandemic is over,” said Heil. “We are learning in the pandemic how much work can be done from home these days.”

    As Heil points out, the pandemic has forced companies to accommodate telecommuting and, in the process, they have learned just how productive employees can be. In addition, having fewer people in the office can translate to lower rent and utilities, as well as less commuting costs for employees. Reports have even show pollution has decreased as a result of more people working from home, making the environment another beneficiary of the trend.

    Here’s to hoping more governments pass similar legislation as that proposed by Minister Heil, and make working from home a legal right.

  • Zoom Will Allow Hosts to Report Users

    Zoom Will Allow Hosts to Report Users

    In its ongoing efforts to beef up security, Zoom is preparing to allow hosts to report participants who misbehave.

    Zoom has become a critical component to individuals and organizations alike during the coronavirus pandemic. The company has, however, come under criticism for lax security and privacy, prompting many companies and organizations to ban the app. As a result, Zoom committed to a 90-day moratorium on new features while its engineering teams focused on security and privacy improvements.

    One of the biggest issues the company has been trying to address is Zoom-bombing, where an uninvited participant gains access to a meeting and commandeers it. Zoom-bombers have subjected legitimate participants to lewd drawings, racial slurs and more.

    According to notes on Zoom’s site, the company is releasing an update on April 26 that will allow hosts to report those participants who misbehave.

    Setting to allow host to report participants to Zoom

    Account owners and admins can now enable a setting to allow the host to report participants to Zoom. This feature will generate a report which will be sent to the Zoom Trust and Safety team to evaluate any misuse of the platform and block a user if necessary. This setting is available at the account, group, and user level and can be locked at the group or account level. This setting requires the Zoom client version which will be released on April 26, 2020.

    This is another welcome improvement to Zoom and should help improve the experience for all involved.

  • Coronavirus: U.S. Internet Can Handle Increased Work-From-Home Load

    Coronavirus: U.S. Internet Can Handle Increased Work-From-Home Load

    Experts are saying the U.S. internet should be able to handle the increased stress of millions of Americans working from home as a result of the coronavirus.

    Some have feared that the sudden increase of individuals staying at home, using the internet for telecommuting and videoconferencing, would overwhelm internet providers’ capacity. According to ABC News, however, experts believe there is no danger of overloading the core network.

    “The core of the network is massively over-provisioned,” Paul Vixie, CEO of Farsight Security and an internet pioneer who helped design its domain naming system, told ABC News.

    At the same time, they do warn that individuals may experience issues if too many people in a single household engage in network-intensive videoconferencing or similarly demanding activities. Even in those situations, however, the issue is not with the core network, but with the “last mile” of connectivity, the last bit of cable that connects a household to their internet provider.

    As ABC points out, newer areas that have fiber are able to keep up with the demand, but older neighborhoods that have cable or DSL are likely to experience issues if several users are all trying to engage in intensive internet use. In such cases, if some users fall back to teleconferencing, rather than video, it should help alleviate the issues since audio takes far less bandwidth.

    Either way, the reassurance that the core network can handle the increased load is good news for workers trying to stay safe and do their part to help slow the spread of the virus.

  • Coronavirus: Shopify Giving Employees $1,000 to Help Work From Home

    Coronavirus: Shopify Giving Employees $1,000 to Help Work From Home

    It’s a good time to work for Shopify, as the company is giving employees $1,000 to help them make the transition to working from home.

    As the coronavirus pandemic spreads around the country and globe, Shopify has joined the ranks of tech companies instructing their employees to work from home. The company made the announcement in a tweet:

    As COVID-19 continues to impact people and countries around the world, Shopify will be going remote first starting March 16th. Working from home will help play a part in reducing the spread of the virus, and hopefully lessen its potentially huge burden on the healthcare system.

    — Shopify (@Shopify) 3/11/20

    According to Business Insider sources, the company is going a step further by giving all of its employees $1,000 to buy what they need to help furnish and set up their work-from-home space. It’s unclear how the company is doing this, whether in the form of a bonus or strictly by reimbursement. The company is also allowing employees to take home whatever office equipment they need to work from home.

    Numerous companies have already announced work-from-home plans, and in the wake of President Trump’s address Wednesday night, that number is likely to grow.

  • Coronavirus: Google Tells All North American Employees to Telecommute

    Coronavirus: Google Tells All North American Employees to Telecommute

    Just days after encouraging all Washington State employees to work from home, Google is telling all of its North American employees to do the same.

    According to Business Insider, Google sent out a memo on Tuesday recommending that all of its employees in North America avoid going into the office if at all possible and work from home instead. At the same time, the company will keep its offices open for those jobs that require onsite access. Google also informed hourly contractors they would be compensated for hours they miss out on as a result of the virus.

    Amazon, Apple, Microsoft and Twitter have all recommended that at least some employees work from home. With the vast majority of Google’s 100,000 workers in North America, however, the company’s decision represents one of the biggest telecommuting efforts yet in response to the coronavirus.

    For years, experts have been predicting that telecommuting was the way of the future, providing an opportunity for companies to cut cost and increase morale. After the health crisis passes, it will be interesting to see if the workforce returns to normal, or if work from home options become the new normal.

  • Coronavirus: Apple and Amazon Latest to Recommend Telecommuting

    Coronavirus: Apple and Amazon Latest to Recommend Telecommuting

    Apple and Amazon are among the latest companies to recommend their employees work from home due to the growing threat of the coronavirus.

    As the World Health Organization (WHO) warns “the threat of a pandemic has become very real,” governments and companies are scrambling to contain the spread. Major events, such as SXSW, have been cancelled, while others, such as WWDC, hang in the balance. In addition to those measures, multiple companies have implemented work-from-home policies, in some cases voluntary and others mandatory. Microsoft, Twitter and Google have all recommended at least some of their employees—especially those in heavily impacted regions—work from home.

    Now Apple and Amazon have joined their ranks. Amazon has specifically asked employees in New Jersey and New York to work from home, as New York has one of the biggest concentrations of confirmed cases. Apple has taken it a step further, giving employees at most of its global offices the opportunity to work from home.

    Long before the coronavirus was a concern, some estimates projected 60% of office workers telecommuting by 2022. As the virus continues to spread, telecommuting may very well become the new norm long before that.

  • Twitter Encourages Telecommuting Due to Coronavirus

    Twitter Encourages Telecommuting Due to Coronavirus

    Twitter is encouraging employees worldwide to work from home, if at all possible, in an effort to help contain the spread of the coronavirus.

    As the coronavirus, or COVID-19, continues to spread around the world, governments and companies alike are trying to contain it. Japan recently began recommending that companies encourage their employees to telecommute where possible. Amazon has begun relying on video interviews for some positions, rather than in-person interviews. Now Twitter has followed suit, encouraging its employees to work from home if they are able.

    “In addition to the travel, event and visitor restrictions that we previously shared, today we provided additional guidance as we look to protect the health and safety of our workforce. Beginning today, we are strongly encouraging all employees globally to work from home if they’re able,” reads a company blog post. “Our goal is to lower the probability of the spread of the COVID-19 coronavirus for us – and the world around us. We are operating out of an abundance of caution and the utmost dedication to keeping our Tweeps healthy.

    “We are working to make sure internal meetings, all hands, and other important tasks are optimized for remote participation. We recognize that working from home is not ideal for some job functions. For those employees who prefer or need to come into the offices, they will remain open for business. Our Real Estate & Workplace team is increasing deep cleaning and sanitizing in all spaces, as well as more visual reminders for personal hygiene best practices and pre-packaged, pre-composed, and pre-plated food options.

    “Working from home will be mandatory for employees based in our Hong Kong, Japan, and South Korea offices due in part to government restrictions. Our criteria will evolve over time as we get more information, and we will communicate to affected Tweeps as appropriate.”

    Twitter’s stand illustrates the effect the virus is having on companies around the world, as governments and medical personnel struggle to deal with the outbreak.

  • Japan Encourages Telecommuting Over Coronavirus Fears

    Japan Encourages Telecommuting Over Coronavirus Fears

    As the coronavirus spreads, Japan is now encouraging companies to have their employees telecommute in an effort to contain the virus.

    According to Reuters, “Japan has 160 cases of infections from the disease known as COVID-19, as well as 691 discovered on board the Diamond Princess cruise ship docked south of Tokyo. On Tuesday, broadcaster NHK reported a fourth death among passengers.”

    As a result, at a cabinet meeting Tuesday, the government unveiled a plan to urge companies to have their employees work from home. “Rather than trying to contain the disease outright, authorities are seeking to slow its expansion and minimize deaths,” Reuters reports. “Telecommuting, or working online or from home, would reduce the infection risk from people gathered in one place.”

    The news comes as governments around the world are struggling to contain the virus, with some experts warning it could turn into a pandemic. Cases have cropped up in areas outside China, with experts not always clear how the virus spread to those areas. Further exacerbating the situation is that some individuals infected experience only mild symptoms, yet may still be contagious.

    As the virus continues to spread, it’s likely other governments will take similar measures as Japan.

  • Work From Home Jobs: 4 Reasons Why Telecommuting Is The NEW American Dream

    Work From Home Jobs: 4 Reasons Why Telecommuting Is The NEW American Dream

    Telecommuting or “work from home” jobs are no longer associated with $1 surveys and “opportunities” to stuff envelopes.

    Today, there are certain jobs which can bring in a six figure yearly income.

    The buzz (and pay) associated with working at home is steadily rising.

    Odds are this trend is here to stay .

    Here are four reasons why you should not only get used to the availability of remote work, but also anticipate it as the new standard.

    1.) Convenience and Flexibility

    It’s very convenient to be able to say your work can be done at a desk near your bed, at the local library or even your favorite coffee shop.

    There’s also an increasing desire for flexibility; so many things you need to do during the day cannot be done because you’re “trapped” at the workplace for eight hours.

    More Americans are looking for telecommute opportunities that will grant them a greater amount of freedom as to how they spend their day.

    2.) Greater Control Over Earnings

    Aside from flexibility, one of the most attractive things about many work at home job opportunities is that you dictate your earnings.

    You can look at your level of experience and education and decide what’s reasonable based on what you earned within a non-telecommute environment.

    You can decide your hours. You can decide what days you work and what days don’t. The ability to decide how much or little you earn, rather than having this told to you is amazingly freeing.


    3.) No More Hostile Workplaces

    The difference between telecommute jobs and traditional jobs can be staggering in terms of the avoided stress.

    Some work environments are full of nasty individuals and run by bullies.

    It can be emotionally taxing being in hostile work environments, especially if it happens to be a job you feel that you cannot afford to leave.

    When you’re self-employed, YOU decide who you want to work for and have far more control over your work relationships.

    4.) Paradigm Shift Is Underway

    Are we witnessing the last days of the traditional office environment?

    It’s possible.

    With nearly half of today’s working Americans either in telecommuting jobs or employed in fields that are work-at-home-friendly, it’s possible in ten years, telecommuting can represent the majority of the workforce.

    Gone is the hierarchal, “climb the latter” thinking. In its place, a series of career fields where people exchange ideas and information on a more level field.

    What other reasons do you think are behind Americans wanting to work from home? Do you see telecommuting becoming the standard means of earning a living in the future?