September 21, 2009
WorldatWork Issues Free HR Guide for Dealing with Swine Flu
Business Continuity Planning: A Guide for Total Rewards and HR Professionals
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. WorldatWork, a global human resources association, has created a free resource to help employers plan for higher than normal worker absenteeism that may result from the swine flu pandemic.
July 23, 2009
Flexible Schedules for Hourly Workers Becoming More Prevalent
A new study by WorldatWork and the Work Design Collaborative (WDC) indicates that the number of hourly workers in the U.S. using flexible scheduling benefits such as teleworking is larger than expected. The study, “Flexible Work Arrangements for Nonexempt Employees,” found that a surprisingly high number of companies are allowing nonexempt employees to telework despite traditional limitations such as work hour and safety requirements.
May 5, 2009
WorldatWork Launches Online Community for HR and Total Rewards Professionals
WorldatWork has recently launched the WorldatWork Online Community. Open to the public, this community is designed to give compensation, benefits, work-life and rewards professionals a virtual forum to interact and connect with industry peers. More >>
Feb. 17, 2009
Telework Revs Up as More Employers Offer Work Flexibility
February 17, 2009 – The number of U.S. employees who worked remotely at least one day per month increased 39 percent the past two years, from approximately 12.4 million in 2006 to 17.2 million in 2008, according to WorldatWork, the global human resources association that studies telework as a tool to attract, motivate and retain employees. In its survey brief Telework Trendlines™ 2009, WorldatWork reports that the sum of all teleworkers – employees, contractors and business owners – has risen 17 percent from 28.7 million in 2006 to 33.7 million in 2008.
Free Article
(To request permission to publish the article, contact mrhodes@worldatwork.org.)
Five Ways to Manage What You Can’t See
WorldatWork Offers Advice on Managing Teleworkers
Whatever the reasons — job autonomy, better productivity in a regimen other than 8-to-5, gas prices, work and family balance — telecommuters have become one of the fastest growing groups of employees in corporate America. According to the WorldatWork “Telework Trendlines” survey report, more than 28 million Americans now work at least one day per month from home, with an estimated 100 million teleworking by 2010. Still, most managers have only been trained to work with employees who are physically present to them. How can you manage what you can’t see?
Aug. 28, 2008
WorldatWork Survey Finds Telework on the Rise in the U.S., Canada
Employers in both the United States and Canada deploy a similar mix of employee rewards programs to attract and retain talent in an ever-changing marketplace with diverse employee needs.
Aug. 21, 2007
Book Provides Solutions to Telework Questions
A recent WorldatWork study showed a 63% increase from 2004 to 2006 in the number of employers who allowed employees to work remotely at least once per month. However, the success of telework depends heavily on applying it to the right employees and supervisors as well as setting up the proper infrastructure. Many organizations simply implement a telework program without a well-examined strategy, which results in failing programs, resentful managers and frustrated employees.
Free Article
(To request permission to publish the article, contact mrhodes@worldatwork.org.)
S.M.A.R.T. Teleworking Tips for Employers
Source: WorldatWork
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:
Select jobs for teleworking. Teleworking is best suited to jobs that are information-based, predictable, portable, or that demand a high degree of privacy and concentration. The key is to designate jobs with at least a portion of the work that can be done as well, or even better, away from the office. Identify such jobs up front so employees don’t have to guess which jobs are eligible for the program.
Manage based on performance and results. In this knowledge-based economy, what is important is getting the job done, not when, where or how many hours it took. Set productivity objectives and measure achievement against them, trusting employees to manage their own time.
Articulate teleworking policy. This written policy should outline the company’s positions on eligibility, performance measurements, equipment provision, technical support, ownership of physical and intellectual property, and requirements for in-office appearances. An example is the General Services Administration’s Information Technology and Telecommunications Guidelines for Federal Telework and Other Alternative Workplace Arrangement Programs.
Recognize management resistance. Many managers are uncomfortable losing physical proximity to their employees. To gain management support, employers should involve supervisors in every aspect of the teleworking program. Ask managers to help determine which employees should be eligible. Provide them with the proper tools and training to succeed.
Train and educate. New patterns of work need a higher standard of management so managers themselves should be trained in the best ways of managing virtual workers. Employees also need to learn to work differently and adjust to a more independent environment.
For more information on teleworking, visit www.workingfromanywhere.org or www.worldatwork.org.
Feb. 8 , 2007
Telework Trending Upward, Survey Says
The number of Americans whose employer allows them to work remotely at least one day per month increased 63 percent, from 7.6 million in 2004 to 12.4 million in 2006, according to a recent report issued by WorldatWork. In total, the sum of teleworkers (both employed and self-employed) working remotely at least one day per month has risen 10 percent from 26.1 million in 2005 to 28.7 million in 2006.
Based on government estimates of 149.3 million workers in the U.S. labor force, the 2006 data means that roughly 8 percent of American workers have an employer that allows them to telecommute one day per month and roughly 20 percent of the workforce engages in telework. The rising trend in the past two years is likely a combination of factors, including the proliferation of high speed/broadband and other wireless access (which has made it both less expensive and more productive to work remotely) and the willingness of more employers to embrace flexibility and work-life balance.
Oct. 30, 2006
Telework Evolving from Business Strategy to Business Necessity
Telework is no longer just a business strategy but a business necessity, according to summaries from the 2006 Telework Conference presented by WorldatWork and ITAC in Washington, D.C. in late September. Companies and government agencies are starting to view telework as a way to control costs while improving productivity.
"Telework is not just about providing an improved work-life balance for the employee," said Anne Ruddy, president of WorldatWork, an international association of human resources professionals. "It is also about improved business performance for the employer."
June 6, 2006
Laptop Theft More Prevalent; Simple Preventive Measures Reduce Risk
Free guide from WorldatWork/ITAC offers practical tips for teleworkers
June 6, 2006 — With 45 million Americans working from homes, hotel rooms, cars, parks and other places, data security has become a paramount concern. An increasing number of organizations are establishing mandatory policies for employees to follow in order to prevent the theft of laptops and valuable organizational data. In a report guide entitled "Exploring Telework as a Business Continuity Strategy," ITAC, WorldatWork's Telework Advisory Group, advises organizations on protecting data and equipment for teleworkers (employees who work from anywhere) as well as telecommuters (employees who work from home). The guide provides practical tips for deterring the theft of laptop computers, an issue that made headlines recently following the theft of a laptop from the home of a Veterans Administration employee.
Silver Spring, MD – Oct. 4, 2005
Annual Survey Shows Americans Are Working from Many Different Locations Outside Their Employers Office
Results Presented by ITAC From The Dieringer Research Group's 2004 – 2005 American Interactive Consumer Survey
ITAC, the Telework Advisory Group for WorldatWork, reports that millions of Americans are working in a variety of different locations outside of their employer’s office. This result is based on research conducted for ITAC by The Dieringer Research Group as part of Dieringer’s 2005 American Interactive Consumer Survey.
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