WorldatWork is committed to advancing telework – the ability to work from anywhere – as a tool to attract, motivate and retain talent. In 2005, WorldatWork acquired ITAC to form the Telework Advisory Group of WorldatWork.

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Research

Business Continuity Planning: A Guide for Total Rewards and HR Professionals
A free resource from WorldatWork

With the flu season fast approaching and news of the spread of H1N1 (swine flu) grabbing headlines, companies are being urged to prepare for a temporary loss of workers who are out sick or caring for sick family members. The toughest part of dealing with the H1N1 outbreak is determining the right depth and scope of response and contingency planning. For companies that have business continuity plans already in place, it may be a simple matter of reviewing and adapting the HR policies within those plans.

Business Continuity Planning: A Guide for Total Rewards and HR Professionals focuses on “What HR Professionals Can Do” including:

• Heighten Awareness of Government Action
• Encourage Employees to Stay Home
• Conduct Benefits Review
• Be Prepared for Absences
• Be Aware of Risks
• Revise Travel Policies
• Have a Prepared Workplace
• Communicate, Communicate, Communicate
• Implement Flexible Work Arrangements such as telework or telecommuting

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Flexible Work Arrangements for Nonexempt Employees
A new study by WorldatWork and the Work Design Collaborative (published in July 2009)
Key Findings

1. Nonexempt employees participate in flexible work programs to a much larger extent than researchers had anticipated. 45% of survey respondents report they include nonexempt employees in those programs. Based on previous occupational survey data, the researchers expected to find only about 15% allowing nonexempt participation.
2. The three biggest industrial sectors allowing nonexempts to telework were manufacturing, education and business services. Manufacturing came as a surprise as it is traditionally dominated by nonexempt employees working on site.
3. Employers are providing (or allowing) telework in an ad hoc manner.
• 44% do not have a formal selection process in place to determine eligibility.
• 39% do not utilize formal employer-employee contracts regarding flexible work arrangements.
• 44% do not evaluate technology effectiveness.

Any data or tables taken from this survey report for other purposes should be referenced as "Flexible Work Arrangements for Nonexempt Employees” by WorldatWork and Work Design Collaborative.

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Telework Trendlines 2009
A report by WorldatWork based on data collected by The Dieringer Research Group

Key findings:

• More Americans, and a higher percentage of Americans, telecommuted in 2008
• Occasional telecommuting is on the rise
• Restaurants and libraries are becoming less common locations for telecommuting
  
• Today’s telecommuters are most often 40-year-old male college graduates

The telework data in this report were commissioned by WorldatWork, conducted by The Dieringer Research Group, Inc. WorldatWork wrote this survey report and is responsible for its content. Data for all U.S. adults in the survey (n=1,002) is considered reliable at the 95 percent confidence interval to within +/- 3.1 percent.

Any data or tables taken from this summary for other purposes should be referenced as "WorldatWork Telework Trendlines^TM 2009” commissioned from The Dieringer Research Group."

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Attraction & Retention: The Impact and Prevalence of Work-Life and Benefit Programs

In today's workforce cutting-edge work-life and benefits programs can be the differentiator that gives an organization the advantage in the war for talent. Find out which ones in this new report from WorldatWork.

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Exploring Telework as a Business Continuity Strategy: A Guide to Getting Started

Sponsored by

 

 

ITAC conducted research in 2004 that revealed that less than half of the private and public sector organizations contacted by ITAC had included telework in their business continuity plans. This finding was surprising since nearly one in five U.S. companies suffered a disaster in 2004 that caused their companies to cease operations for a period of time, according to a Partnership for Public Warning study commissioned by AT&T. Other research has shown that 43% of companies hit by severe crisis never opened their operations again.

ITAC research found that business continuity planning often focused on corporate infrastructure without taking into account the human factor – the employee. As a result, ITAC launched the Telework/Business Continuity Project, a groundbreaking study that explored telework as a business continuity strategy. Through this project the following information resources are now available.

Comprehensive Report: ITAC has released a 120+-page, research report, “Exploring Telework as a Business Continuity Strategy: A Guide to Getting Started.” This report provides eight detailed steps on how to incorporate telework as part of an organization’s business continuity strategy. In addition the report describes Technology Solutions that enable people to work remotely at anytime, and provides tailored strategies for federal agencies and business case studies to survive disasters. ITAC is providing a free PDF download of the report.

Free Executive Summary: An eight-page executive summary of the full report is available for free as a PDF download. This summary explains why business continuity should be a priority, the effects of disaster on businesses, and why telework is critical for a successful business continuity plan.

Free Webinar: One-hour webinar (PowerPoint Presentation and Audio of Speakers) on the report’s findings that explains how telework can be incorporated into an organization’s continuity of operations and identifies the full employee and employer benefits of telework. The webinar features presenters, Robert Smith, ITAC’s Director; Jennifer Verive, Research Chair for ITAC; and June Langhoff, the author of “Exploring Telework as a Business Continuity Strategy.”

Directions to access the webinar are as follows:
Windows PC users can access the webinar at http://www.worldatwork.org/itac
Mac users need to have Microsoft's Windows Media Player, and open this URL(http://play.rbn.com/?url=worldatwork/worldatwork/wmdemand/ hottopic/ITAC.wmv&proto=mms) in the Windows Media Player.

A press release is also available for the media.

Telework as a business continuity strategy is one of many benefits businesses and government agencies can realize when enabling their employees with the flexibility to work from anywhere. These many different benefits are presented by ITAC in other research, such as the 2003 report “Teleworking Comes of Age with Broadband,” and during its September 2005 Annual Conference.

Bredin Business Information, a Cambridge, Massachusetts-based consultancy, conducted the research and wrote the report.

S.M.A.R.T. Teleworking Tips for Employers
Teleworking allows employees to work smarter, not harder. WorldatWork, an international association of human resource professionals, offers the S.M.A.R.T. way to manage teleworkers.

Webinar
Flexible Work Arrangements: Helping Managers Achieve Results

Nearly 29 million Americans now work remotely—an estimate of 100 million in less than three years!*

Are your managers trained to manage employees who utilize flexible work arrangements? Recent poll reports 80% of companies do not train their managers.**

With the sharp growth of flexible work arrangements, it is important for human resource managers to be prepared to handle various work arrangements including telecommuting, compressed work week, job sharing, part-time, etc. Today, managers often set too many rules or are without resources to properly manage the flexible work arrangements. Lack of understanding or control often makes it difficult for them to identify employees that are most likely to succeed in this type of environment and causes fear that employees will become less productive if implemented. This informative Webinar provides HR and work-life professionals tips on how to make flexible work arrangements a success for both the employee and the manager.

Attendees will:

• Find out what’s in it for managers
• Discover why formal flexibility is not an oxymoron
• Be able to identify who is most likely to succeed in a flexible work environment
• Learn how to implement the process
• Gain a deeper understanding of flexible work arrangements – smashing myths, calming fears and managing performance
• Receive troubleshooting tips 
• Learn how to maintain effective communication between all stakeholders.

Audience: Human Resource Managers, HR Generalists and Work-Life Practitioners

Presenters: Susan Seitel, President, WFC Resources
Rachel Hastings, Vice President, WFC Resources

Fee:  $270 USD (Member $160 USD)

Register at WorldatWork

New Book
Telework: A Critical Component of Your Total Rewards Strategy

Telework is a critical component of an organization's total rewards strategy for attracting and retaining top talent. Unfortunately, its success depends on using it for the right positions and the right people, as well as implementing an effective infrastructure. Without a well thought strategy, programs fail, managers become resentful and employees are frustrated. Brought up-to-date from the original e-work guide published by ITAC in 2000, this book helps organizations to successfully implement or expand telework programs using practical steps and sample templates. It explains in detail:

• How telework supports the total rewards model in attracting, motivating
  and retaining employees.
• How telework can support additional important operational goals of the organization, as well as those of the HR, management and technology functions - all critical for operating a successful program.
• How telework programs fit into a business continuity plan.

U.S. and Canada: List $34.95 USD (WorldatWork Members: $27.95 USD)

E-book: List $27.95 USD (WorldatWork Members: $20.95 USD)

Click here to purchase