The Great Telework Debate—Here’s What the Private Sector Says About What’s Working and What’s Not

In recent years, the number of Americans who work from home has shifted. Telework was once a rare perk. Now, it’s relatively common for certain jobs. But with some employers recalling staff into the office full time, this shift has added to the debate over the future of telework. 

Today’s WatchBlog post looks at our new report on private sector employee and employer views on working from home. 

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When is telework being used?

Telework options vary by employer. Some jobs allow employees to telework a few days each week. Others may allow full-time telework or remote work.

How widespread is telework? While many workers enjoy the privilege of working from home, the vast majority of Americans perform their work in person. As of March, about 2-in-10 private-sector workers (22%) had teleworked during the week, according to the Department of Labor.

Telework options can also vary by the type of job performed. Those who work from home tend to have jobs in management or professional occupations that do not require in-person activities. But jobs that require in-person interaction typically aren’t well suited for telework. For example, it would be difficult for a security guard to work virtually.

While telework has been around for years, many private businesses are still figuring out how, if at all, they can make telework work for them.

What are the benefits of telework?

Telework can offer a number of benefits to businesses and their employees. Chief among these is the ability to attract and keep workers. Employers can cast a wider net when recruiting because employees do not need to be located near their worksite. The same goes for workers. Jobseekers were once limited to positions in their local area. Now they can apply to work remote jobs across the country.

This flexibility also helps businesses retain staff. If an employee needs to relocate for personal reasons—for example, to care for an aging parent—they can now take their job with them. Telework can also help people who face other barriers to enter or stay in the workforce. For example, parents with young children or people with disabilities may benefit from telework flexibilities.

The cost savings from telework was another benefit mentioned by employers. When businesses need less physical office space, they can save on rent and other building costs like utilities and repairs. And an employer may save on salary costs if they hire an employee living in a place with a lower cost of living.

Employees reported money-saving benefits too. They can save on commuting costs and can keep their jobs if they move to a cheaper area of the country. Employees also told us they were more productive working from home because the office had more distractions.

What are the challenges with telework?

While we heard that telework could improve productivity and cut costs, we also heard it couldn’t replicate the workplace. Many employers are concerned about building workplace culture when employees are not physically present. Spontaneous interactions at work, like bumping into colleagues in hallways or breakrooms, can’t happen virtually. This may lead workers to feel less connected at work. It could also deprive them of important chances for mentoring or on-the-job training. Employees may also feel that their work doesn’t get the attention it needs to be eligible for promotions or raises.

Employers also said that tracking work hours and performance can be a challenge. When managers aren’t around, they may feel a loss of control in tracking their employees’ work. Before telework, a supervisor could stop by an employee’s desk to check on the status of a project. Now they must rely on other ways to track progress. Managers may also have a harder time building relationships and trust with employees, both of which are important for ensuring performance.

To learn more about telework in the private sector, including views from experts, check out our recent report.

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