How Does Telecommuting Impact Overall Employee Satisfaction?

How does Telecommuting Impact Overall Employee Satisfaction?

Table of Contents

Executive Summary3

Teleworking and Work-Life Balance4

Teleworking and Perceptions8

Conclusion11

References12

Executive Summary

This paper outlines the key elements regarding telework and the effect that it has on employee satisfaction and performance. Telework is a tool used to increase flexibility within organizations that allow employees to work from non-traditional locations (i.e., not from the office). When looking at the concept of teleworking, there are two main ideas to consider: the effect on an employee’s work-life balance and the perception of those employees who telework. We found that teleworking greatly improved an employee’s work-life balance, which in turn greatly improved their overall satisfaction and performance. However, while teleworking has numerous benefits, there are also a number of drawbacks, including its perception. Teleworking can be viewed as intrusive to some, as many believe that this removes the separation of work and home. It can also be viewed as detrimental to family life, in some cases as now people may be focusing on work as opposed the family itself. Despite these drawbacks, we came to the conclusion that the benefits, which teleworking has on an individual, far outweigh the negative connotations attached to it.

How does Telecommuting Impact Overall Employee Satisfaction?

Teleworking has innovated how company work is done, and in recent years technological improvements have allowed increased flexibility for employees to work from almost anywhere and helped create a less stressful and more productive work atmosphere. Teleworking is defined as a “transfer of information via networked communication and information technology (CIT)” (Cano, Hatar, & Zapatero, 1997, p. 27). The use of teleworking has had a significant impact on employees’ level of job satisfaction and their overall job performance. Teleworking allows employees to have the flexibility they need in order to balance work and personal life, however it does come with its fair share of drawbacks. Along with work-life balance, the perception surrounding telecommuting can have an impact an employee’s job satisfaction and performance as well. In order for employers to be able to utilize the full benefits of teleworking, they must monitor how it impacts the work-life balance of those employees taking advantage of the job benefit, and the perception of other employees in the office with regards to teleworking.

Teleworking and Work-Life Balance

Many studies have been conducted regarding the benefits and drawbacks to teleworking arrangements, specifically in relation to the employee. There have also been further studies to indicate if either formal or informal telework arrangements provide greater benefits to the employee, and in turn, increase employee satisfaction. In general, many individuals consider teleworking as a way to cut down on pollution, reduce traffic congestion, and improve work production; yet they fail to recognize the benefits that result from combining work and family responsibilities. Carolyn Troup and Judy Rose (2012) argued that regardless of a formal or informal telework arrangement, there is a positive correlation between job satisfaction and the presence of a telework arrangement, because it allows employees to combine work and family responsibilities, while working from home.