REPORT: TELECOMMUTING

Authors: Karla Aydam Guerrero-Flores,

Max Peter Guistwhite,
and
Mirela Hazlewood
June , 2021
Introduction 
Telecommuting recently expanded as a work option for many organizations in the United

States. A growing number of businesses are committing to keep telework as an option after the

pandemic recedes. However, some organizations and workers will not be able to benefit from

telecommuting due to issues with security and job characteristics. The purpose of this report is to

inform the audience about telecommuting as a valuable work option for businesses and workers.

This exposition provides an overview of the United States government, telecommuting program,

benefits for the employers and employees, and outlook.

Telecommuting Overview

U.S. Federal Government

The United States Government was founded in 1789. The constitution was established for

‘We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice,

insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and

secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this

Constitution for the United States of America’’(U.S Government, 7). Many roles are played out

in our government and how it came to be. In order to achieve success, roles needed to be spread.

There are three consecutive branches established in the US Government that allow different jobs

to be played out. In the legislative branch, there is congress, senate, and house of representatives,

which are those who make the laws. The executive branch is made up by the president, vice

president, and cabinets. In short words, these are the people who carry out the law. Lastly, the

judicial branch makes up the supreme court and other federal courts. The specific branch can be

recognized as those who interpret laws. Each branch of the government can change acts of other
branches if needed. The ability of each branch to respond to the actions of other branches is

called the system of checks and balances (). The US Government is considered a federal

government corporation. There are currently seven-teen government corporations that must

produce revenues to meet or approximate its expenditures. The Federal Government as well as

any other business produces incentives

Telework Enhancement Act

In 2010, the Federal Government began a major change in the workforce. It established

the Telework Enhancement Act, which proclaimed the government's ability to achieve flexibility

in the workforce. It encourages the agencies to implement telework to the maximum extent

possible because it maintains a continuous work of operations and decreases management costs.

This act also gave the ability to improve Federal employee’s work life and personal life. With

this act, employee’s have opportunities to continue working from where they’d like, whether it's

home, vacation, hotel, etc. The Federal Government was one of the first to execute the

telecommuting route which allows people to remotely work from home, and over the years it has

been increasing tremendously.

How is Telecommuting measured?

they did a survey to measure telework

- improve health of children

- improved work/ life balanced

- 60% of teleworker stated that their job performance improved

- government reduced costs of facilities by 35%

Benefits for employers

Growth and efficiency

Telecommuting fosters the use of technology and innovations to accelerate business

growth and efficiency. According to Boomer (2021), remote work increases the need to

maximize the use of existing technology and automation, and it boosts innovation by creating

new systems incorporating multiple technologies. Improvements in bandwidth speeds, the

utilization of cloud computing, and new collaboration software have also improved

organizational efficiency. The telecommuting expansion influenced by new technology

stimulates organizational growth by providing workers more time to forge new business

relationships and accommodate clients’ needs, while mundane and repetitive tasks can be

efficiently completed.

Savings

Businesses strive to make money; though, during the pandemic some companies realized

that significant savings can be achieved by utilizing telework. According to Quinn (2020), many

of the major tech companies have offices and buildings located in some of the most expensive

cities in the country. By switching to telework, companies are able to save money by removing

some of their high-priced real estate. Companies can also relocate to states that have lower

corporate taxes. Many times, cities and states provide tax incentives to entice organizations to

relocate to them. This is usually contingent on job creation in the community by the company.
However, telework disrupts that traditional quid-pro-quo and those jurisdictions will have to find

other incentives to attract businesses.

Knowledge Management

Telecommuting benefits knowledge management by stimulating design innovations and

implementation of effective information sharing technologies. Organizations depend on timely

and accurate information to make informed decisions and maximize operational capability and

profitability. However, the inefficient access and distribution of information still presents a

challenge for many companies and causes massive losses in productivity. Knowledge

management can effectively create, share, and use information by utilizing KCS methodology

(Knowledge-Centered Services), implementing self-service technology, expanding and adjusting

subject matter, and integrating platforms capable of combining different software.

Telecommuting promotes knowledge management as an essential solution for information

complexity. Easy access to vital information enhances business’s operational abilities and

productivity (Berg, 2021).

Corporate Culture Transformation

Telecommuting promotes Diversity Inclusion & Equity (DIE) in corporate culture.

Organizations can utilize the benefits of globalization to hire and retain talent by using telework.

One of the major technology companies, Spotify, utilized telecommuting to overhaul its hiring

process. This allowed the company to hire top global talent and increase its work force.

According to recruiters, the positive effects of this transformation are already apparent, and it is

the direction the company will conduct business in the future (Doke, 2020).
 Companies often experience difficulties retaining diverse talent if they are in less

desirable geographic locations, or when relocating is not an option for an employee. In the

United States companies are constrained by immigration laws and visa restrictions to employ

international talent. By utilizing telework, companies can draw international talent and increase

diversity and inclusiveness. Many companies are aware of the benefits of DIE, such as increased

creativity and productivity, and are actively investing in it. Hybrid style companies that utilize

traditional office space and remote work options need to be mindful to include remote workers

when considering promotions. To achieve true DIE, companies need a combination of hiring,

retaining, and promoting people from all different demographics and work settings, including

remote workers (Murad, 2021).

Benefits for employees

Motivation

Telecommuting has skyrocketed considerably in the last year due to the COVID-19

pandemic. For many companies, telework became a necessity instead of an incentive. This

prompted many organizations to reassess their future work arrangements. Some businesses

decided to implement a hybrid model, while others decided to switch to remote work as an

exclusive route. This prompted interest in the possible psychological impact of telecommuting

on employees. One major study concluded that remote work increases motivation in employees.

The increase in motivation seems to correlate to the number of days an employee works

remotely.

According to Caillier (2012), the optimum number of days an employee should work

remotely is two days per week. In the study, this work arrangement produced the highest amount
of motivation and job satisfaction. When remote working exceeds that time frame, workers

become less motivated and satisfied with their jobs. The researchers hypothesized that decline

happens after two days because of the limited amount of personal interaction. Lack of

conversation and collaboration can cause an unexpected disconnect from the company. Many

workers like the idea of being able to work from home for a couple of days a week. This

flexibility increases their positive feelings about job satisfaction, which makes them more

contented and productive.

People with Disabilities

Telecommunicating not only stimulates greater motivation in the workplace, but it can

transfer the workplace to one’s own space, suited specifically for their needs. This is very

significant to people with disabilities, since physical and mental impairments can affect

employment opportunities. Limitations can be due to several factors such as employer required

on-site time, employers’ willingness to offer full time remote employment, inadequate systems

of transportation, and limitations due to job characteristics.

The U.S Department of Labor Office of Disability Employment Policy (ODEP)

conducted a study on telecommuting and its access by people with disabilities. The ODEP

“examined telework practices of public and private sector employers, finding that 80% had

employees with disabilities and 23% had employees who telework, but only 8% had employees

with disabilities who telework” (Linden, 2014). It is worth mentioning that this study was

conducted before the COVID-19 pandemic when fewer employers offered teleworking positions.

The Bureau of Labor Statistics published a report that stated only 17.9 % of persons with a
disability were part of the US workforce during 2020, and 10% of them were part of in-person

workers (BLS, 2021),

These studies illustrate the struggle of incorporating telework and people with disabilities

as part of the workforce. According to Linden (2014), wider access to telework would allow

people with physical impairments to overcome structural and transportation barriers. Telework

can benefit people with mental disabilities, such as depression or certain types of anxieties.

Working in familiar environments potentially decreases instances of illness related episodes and

reduces absences from work. Workers could also manage their work schedule around necessary

medical care, pain, and exhaustion periods caused by their illness.

By making telework a more accessible work option for people with disabilities, such

individuals can successfully integrate into the workforce in greater numbers, live independently,

contribute to society, and promote diversity and inclusion.

Concerns

Cybersecurity

Telework undoubtedly has many benefits for organizations and workers. However,

increased reliance on e-work also causes some concerns. One major concern for organizations is

heightened vulnerability to cyber-attacks. As Green (2021) explains, the purpose of these attacks

is to gather information about an organization’s high value assets. The easiest way for hackers to

launch an attack is by exploiting new technology. Once the security is breached and sensitive

information is obtained, cyber criminals can attempt to extort money from the organization,

disrupt normal business operations, and misuse customers' confidential data. These attacks can

cause financial damage, hurt reputations, and harm communities. As telecommuting and its
reliance on technology increases, companies need to invest in cybersecurity such as training

employees, enforcing password policies, and secure network design.

Corporate Surveillance

According to Blackman (2020) the major concern for workers is intrusive surveillance by

employers. Organizations monitor workers to assure productivity and efficiency. Some

companies monitor their employees’ keystrokes, locations, emails, and/or social media accounts.

Furthermore, an overreach in supervision can lead to diminished trust and increased stress among

employees, which can cause a decrease in moral and lower productivity.

During the COVID-19 epidemic, many businesses transformed to e-business models

using telework, which allowed employees and some employers to become digital nomads.

Nonetheless, the above-mentioned concerns can impact the future of telecommuting.

Conclusion

Organizations innovate and invest in their products, services, and human capital to

remain relevant and competitive. They also must demonstrate agility by adapting to unforeseen

challenges, such as manmade/natural disasters or new trends. Telecommuting demonstrates

many benefits; however, it also raises concerns that require extra attention. As more

organizations embrace telecommuting as hybrid or entirely online businesses, the future of this

work arrangement in the United States remains bright.

Appendix
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