Telecommuting on the rise?

RESTON, Va. – Want to lure new employees? Consider telecommuting options. A recent survey by TrueCareers, an online job board and Sallie Mae subsidiary, has revealed that 92% of employees say that the ability to work from home would be an important factor in deciding whether to accept a new job. The survey also found that 91% of respondents believe that telecommuting would make them more productive in their current jobs. Of the 1,963 respondents, 65% say that they either already telecommute to some degree or have considered working from home. Of the employees currently telecommuting, 35% work from home at least half of the workweek and reasons for it range from allowing more time to spend with their families and providing more flexibility with the hours they choose to work, to eliminating costly and stressful commuting time. Sixty percent of respondents have at least a 15-mile commute to work each way. “Recent U.S. Census figures show that roughly 4.2 million Americans telecommute,” said TrueCareers CEO Michael A. Caggiano. “This survey confirms our belief that we’ll see the telecommuting trend continue to rise and grow in popularity among major corporations.” The survey, conducted on http://www.TrueCareers.com during June 2002, is part of a series of regularly scheduled surveys TrueCareers posts on its Web site for job candidates and employers on a variety of career-related topics.