Media
by TomMedia
If you’re a reporter on deadline call +1 760-703-0377
*Important note to students
Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, is considered a thought leader in emerging workplace strategies. She has become a trusted resource with journalists from the Wall Street Journal, Harvard Business Review, Washington Post, New York Times, and over a hundred other publications, websites, and blogs.
We have developed a proprietary library of over 7,000 research papers, case studies, and news about workplace strategy, hybrid and remote work, attraction and retention, productivity, engagement, innovation, coworking, new workplace models, sustainability, portfolio strategy, corporate real estate, and much more.
We are happy to share our research with writers and reporters, bloggers, and other professional researchers (*students, take note below).
For more information, to schedule an interview, or to request custom research, please email Press@GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics.com. If you are on a deadline, please call 760-703-0377 and ask for Kate. If we are not available, please send a text to that number or email with the word “Urgent” in the subject line. Please let us know what organization you represent, the nature of your interest, and deadline information. Even if we can’t help you, we will be happy to refer you to someone who can.
See also:
* Note to Students: If you’re a student working on a paper, thesis, or dissertation, you’ll find what you need by searching this site. Please do not call or write asking us to do your work for you.
Let Us Help You Work Better
Free Resources
by TomFree Resources
Global Workplace Analytics’ Blog
Let’s face it, there just isn’t enough time to read everything you want to about the world of work. No worries, now you don’t have to. We read all the important news stories, the latest research, and other sources of information and deliver it to you in short, easy-to-read chunks and add our two cents to boot.
Workplace Savings Calculators
A U.S. General Accountability Office report to Congress called our Telework Savings Calculator “comprehensive and based on solid research.”
Thousands of employers have used our calculators to make the people, planet, and profit business case for various workplace strategies. Each is informed by our proprietary research database that includes over 5,000 case studies, research papers, government reports, books, and news items on workplace strategies that impact human and organizational agility and performance. While some of our calculators are only available to our enterprise clients, we make lite versions of several available for free:
• Telework Employer Savings Calculator (™)
• Telework Employee Savings Calculator (™)
• Telework Environmental Savings Calculator (™)
• Well-Being Savings Calculator (™)
• Ergonomic Savings Calculator (™)
• Dual Monitor Savings Calculator (™)
• Custom calculators based on client or sponsor-specific needs
Free White Papers & Articles
- Remote work during COVID-19
- Telecommuting trends and best practices (U.S. and elsewhere)
- The ROI of remote work/telecommuting
- Workplace experience
- Results-based management
- Co-working
- Future of Work industry profiles
- Benchmarking studies
- Employee engagement
- Employee health and well-being
Telework Statistics and Other Research Roundups
- Pre and Post-Pandemic Telework Statistics
- Data about who can, does, and wants to telework
- Post-COVID Telework forecast: How many people will work from home in the future?
- The Latest Telework Statistics
- How Many People Telework?
- Extensive List of Telework Costs and Benefits
- Telework and the Environment
- Telework Tips for Employers
COVID-19/Pandemic Employer Resources
- Free 76-page “Global Work from Home Experience Survey Report
- Work-from-home after COVID-19—Our Forecast
- Telework Tips for Employers
- Sample Telework Agreements
Consumer/Employee Resources for Finding Work at Home Jobs
While we are not in the business of helping individuals find or create work-at-home jobs, we did write a book about just that. We make lots of free advice from Undress for Success (Wiley, 2009) available at Undress4Success.com.
- How to Find a Legitimate Work-at-Home Job
- Advice on How to Convince Your Boss to Let You Work From Home
- Test Your Work-at-Home Readiness?
- Test Your Telework Compatibility?
- Best-Bet Work-From-Home Employers
- Companies That Offer Full-Time Legitimate Work-at-Home Jobs
- Our Guide to Essential Office Equipment
- Home Office Safety and Ergonomic Checklist
- Scambusters
- Advice on Starting Your Own Freelance Business
- Advice for Running a Home-Based Business
Implementation Plan
by TomImplementation Plan
Step 1: Determine if you are ready for telework
- Do you embrace management by results?
- Does management and all staff understand and support telework concept?
- Are you committed to telework training for manager and employees?
- Do you have a written telework policy?
- Do you have a telework agreement for employees to sign?
- Does your training and agreement address the legal, safety, and union issues involved?
- Are you commited to regularly setting goals and measuring results?
- Are your files, software, and other resources available online?
- Do you have adequate data security in place?
- Do you have a plan for addressing technology problems your telecommuters might encounter?
Table of Contents
by Tom
Table of Contents
Foreword by Jack Nilles Introduction E-work, The Bare Essentials
Chapter 1: Who E-works and What Do They Do?
Chapter 2: What’s in It for Me?
Chapter 3: Expose Yourself – Are You Right for E-work?
Chapter 4: Dirty Underwear – Uncovering the Scams
Pajama Paychecks: Jobs You Can Do in Your Jammies
Chapter 5: Who’s Paid to Work at Home and What Do They Do?
Chapter 6: Take Your Job and Love It
Chapter 7: The Naked Truth about Your Boss
Chapter 8: What’s in It for Your Employer?
Chapter 9: Making Your E-work Pitch
Chapter 10: Best-Bet E-work Employers
Chapter 11: Work as a Call Center Agent
Chapter 12: Work as a Virtual Assistant
Chapter 13: Work as a Medical Transcriptionist
Chapter 14: Work as a Teacher or Tutor
Chapter 15: Work as a Remote Tech
Chapter 16: Work as a Writer
Chapter 17: Work in Telemedicine
Chapter 18: How to Navigate the Web in Search of E-work
Chapter 19: Using the Job Boards to Find E-work
Chapter 20: Your Digital Resume
Chapter 21: Collaboration and Social Networking for E-work
Freelance in Your Frillies
Chapter 22: Who Freelances and What Do They Do?
Chapter 23: Putting Your Best Slipper Forward
Chapter 24: What Am I Worth?
Chapter 25: Proposals and Contracts
Chapter 26: Finding Freelance Work
Bedroom Businesses
Chapter 27: Who’s Running Home Businesses and What Do They Do?
Chapter 28: The Right Fit
Chapter 29: Designing the Perfect Business
Chapter 30: The Business Model
Chapter 31: Best Bet Businesses
Chapter 32: Business Planning
Chapter 33: Naked Truths about Home Biz
Does It Come with Batteries?
Chapter 34: Home-Based Technology
What If Everybody Did It?
Chapter 35: Let’s All Undress
Speeches / Webinars
by Tom
Speeches / Presentations
Are you looking for a speaker for your next event? We’ve been invited to speak at hundreds of them.
Our favorite topics include the future of work, making work work better, the latest trends in who, what, when, where, why and how of work, best practices in hybrid/remote work, making the business case for change, measuring workplace success, employee well-being, and more.
Rework APAC Summit 2023—September 12 to 13, Sydney Australia
From reworkapacsummit.com – June 28, 2023 6:00 AM
I’m delighted to be speaking at ReWork’s APAC Summit in Sydney Australia in September. https://reworkapacsummit.com/
Private session for Siemen’s top clients on The State of Hybrid/Remote Work
From yt3.ggpht.com – May 24, 2023 9:25 AM
Lenovo Late Night I.T.—Workplace Flexibility: Hybrid is hard | Bonus Clip
From www.youtube.com – May 24, 2023 8:55 AM
Bonus clip! Drive hybrid meeting equity with a buddy system. Kick back, watch more episodes, and dig deeper into each topic at Watch the full session here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b3A7PM7dCEE.
Lenovo Late Night I.T. with Baratunde Thurston, Kate Lister, and Ryan Anderson—Workplace Flexibility: Hybrid is hard
From www.youtube.com – May 24, 2023 8:51 AM
Kate Lister, Ryan Anderson talk about the future of work with award winning Baratunde Thurston
Delivering the X Factor: Why Workplace Experience and Tech Matters IFMA EMEA
From www.marketplace.org – October 5, 12:08 PM
Global workplace experts discuss the modern workplace, trends impacting change, and what to consider when choosing technology to improve employee experience, achieve digital ambitions, and support long-term organizational goals.
Back to the Future – Hybrid Workplace Trends in the Next Decade
From www.youtube.com – May 24, 2023 8:29 AM
In this fireside chat, WorkinSync CEO, Deepesh Agarwal, talks to Kate Lister, a celebrated workplace expert, about the changing workplace scenario, the role of technology, tools that will play a major part in this change, and much more.
Revolutionizing the Workplace: The Remote Work Revolution Explored
From www.linkedin.com – February 24, 2023 1:02 AM
Join me along with Gad Levanon and Jeff Abbott and hosts of one of the top #futureofwork podcasts, The Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization Show, Ira Wolfe and Jason Cochran for this live podcast, Revolutionizing the Workplace: The Remote Work Revolution Explored. #remotework #hybridworking
GRI Club Webinar: The Modern Workplace – Game-changing Updates in Design, Location and Technology for Better Experiences
From www.griclub.org – August 24, 2022 11:47 PM
Join Kate Lister along with workplace experts from Gensler, IWG, Regus, Maya Capital, and others as they discuss:
- The Future of Office Design – A stretch towards better workplace decisions
- Collaboration in Shared Spaces – Office owners commitments to health and wellness
- Upgrades in Property Technology – The new workplace ecosystem
Webinar Date: Tuesday, September 6, 2022
10 a.m. EST/3PM BST
Registration limited. Sign up here.
Back to the Future: Hybrid Workplace Trends for the next decade
From moveinsync.zoom.us – August 24, 2022 11:39 PM
This fireside chat will see host Deepesh talk to Kate Lister, a celebrated workplace expert, about the changing workplace scenario, the role of technology, tools that will play a major part in this change, and much more.
Sponsored by: WorkinSync
September 15, 2022
8 a.m. Pacific
Register here.
May WE:binar: The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of the Future of Work
From register.gotowebinar.com – June 21, 2022 11:26 PM
Delivered for Workplace Evolutionaries, May 19, 2022. Click for the recorded version.
Kate Lister’s insight:
Webinar: Are tech companies driving the future of work? A conversation with Kate Lister
From info.teamit.com – March 2, 2022 6:55 AM
Join us on March 16 to hear from Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics and workplace thought leader, on the future of work.
Connecting the Dots Between Business Outcomes and HR Strategy
From register.gotowebinar.com – June 21, 2022 11:26 PM
Hacking HR’s 2022 Global Conference – Hacking HR Conference, March 7-13, 2022 (virtual)
Creating the Business Case for a Human Centered Workplace
From hrinnovationconference2022.hackinghr.io – March 1, 2022 2:25 AM
Hacking HR’s 2022 Global Conference – Hacking HR Conference, March 7-11, 2022 (virtual)
Learning How To Connect HR Transformation with Financial Metrics of Success
From hrinnovationconference2022.hackinghr.io – March 1, 2022 2:22 AM
Hacking HR’s 2022 Global Conference – Hacking HR Conference March 7-11, 2022 (virtual)
Clubhouse conversation: The Hybrid Work Butterfly Effect on Public Space – Design + Data w/ThinkLab
From www.clubhouse.com – March 1, 2022 1:42 AM
Friday, March 4 at 8:00am CST with Amanda Schneider, Kate Lister, Meredith Campbell. Hybrid models are shifting space, location, mindsets, and expertise. Explore the latest stats on hybrid work with Kate Lister and the emerging impact on public space with leading design firms.
The New Geography of Work – CoreNet Norcal 2-17-22
From www.linkedin.com – February 14, 2022 12:51 AM
Join us virtually on Thursday, February 17th at 4:00pm PT for the February Chapter Meeting on the New Geography of Work.
Speakers Kate Lister, Gre
Saltmine Webinar: Planning, Designing, and Executing an Employee Centric Workplace Webinar: Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 12 pm EST
From content.saltmine.com – October 15, 2021 9:07 AM
Join Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics and Mark Wartenberg, Director Americas Infrastructure at Nike as they riff on the realities and possibilities of what kind of offices employees are returning to around the world.
Tuesday, October 26, 2021 at 12 pm EST. Click here to register.
SAASTR Annual Conference: Top 5 Ways to Build a Successful Hybrid GTM Team with Owl Labs’ CRO & Kate Lister | 9-27-21 7:30 to 7:50 a.m. PDT
From www.saastrannual2021.com – September 26, 2021 8:36 AM
In the current hybrid environment, businesses need to reposition how they sell to customers and this starts with how they enable their go-to-market teams. In this session, we’ll explore the tools and best practices your GTM team needs to be successful in a hybrid world.
Workplace Evolutionaries Denmark: Remote working: Past, present, future! | 9-28-21—7:30 AM Pacific
From www.dfm-net.dk – September 26, 2021 8:24 AM
If you are interested in the workplace of the future / hybrid-working / homework, do not miss this unique opportunity to hear Kate Lister give her perspectives on remote working.
Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics and co-founder of Workplace Evolutionaries (WE), is one of the world’s leading experts in remote working.
Office of The Future: Rethinking Employee Health & Happiness
From events.verizon5glabs.com – September 25, 2021 10:09 PM
A sudden shift to remote work had a seismic impact on company & team culture in 2020, and the upcoming implementation of hybrid work environments will again change the way culture is shaped. How can we keep teams connected, invested, and engaged both virtually, and in the office?
Join us for a conversation about the technology that’s inspiring a new era of company culture, and how emerging applications like 5G & edge computing could unlock happier, healthier, and more productive work environments for all.
You might also be interested in:
Older Presentations
2020
- The Future of Work—A Look at Significant Trends that will change the who, what, when, where, why, and how of work, IFMA/Workplace Evolutionaries, Chicago, September 30 to October 2, 2020
- The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and Why Not of Telecommuting, Society for Human Resource Mananagement (SHRM), San Diego, June 29-30, 2020
- The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and Why Not of Telecommuting IFMA’s Facility Fusion/Workplace Evolutionaries, San Francisco, April 2020 CANCELLED
- The Future of Work (keynote), combined IFMA/Workplace Evolutionairies, CORENET, Women in Corporate Real Estate event, San Francisco, March 19, 2020 CANCELLED
2019
- TBD, Workplace Evolutionaries World Workplace, Phoenix, October 16-18, 2019
- The Impact of a Changing Workplace, RICS, Los Angeles, June 5, 2019
- Ideation Workshop, Workplace Evolutionaries Facility Fusion, Atlanta, April 8-11, 2019
- The ROI of Workplace Design, ASID Outcome of Design Conference, Chicago, March 22, 2019
- The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and Why Not of Flexible Work, WorkRebooted, San Francisco, February 25-27, 2019
- Healthy Buildings and a Healthy Work-Life, DesignWell Conference, San Diego, January 22, 2019
2018
- Quantifying the Impact of Workplace Change: A Brainstorming Session, IFMA World Workplace 2018, Charlotte NC, October 4, 2018
- Workplace Change: Where We Are Today—Results of 5th Biennial Benchmarking Survey, IFMA World Workplace 2018, Charlotte NC, October 5, 2018
- The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and Why Not of Telework, Association for Commuter Transportation, Los Angeles, July 31, 2018
- Forget ROI, let’s talk about ROP (Return on People), Keynote for IFMA SW Washington/Oregon Annual Symposium, Portland, May 24, 2018
- Building a Business Case for an Agile Workforce (Webinar), Catalant, May 16, 2018
- The Impact of Place on Innovation & Human Performance, Workplace Evolutionaries, IFMA Facility Fusion, Chicago, March 20, 2018
- The ROI of Well-Being, Workplace Evolutionaries Pre-Conference, IFMA Facility Fusion, Chicago IL, March 19, 2018
2017
- Quantifying the Impact of Remote Work, IFMA World Workplace, Houston, October 17, 2017
- Quantifying the Impact of Workplace Change-Yes, it can (and should) be done, NEOCON 2017, Chicago
- Well-Being in the Workplace, IFMA Global Conference, Stockholm Sweden, June 1, 2017
- The Magic That Happens When HR, RE, & IT Come Together on Workplace Change, IFMA Facility Fusion, Las Vegas, April 5, 2017
- Co-Working: Revolution or Evolution,Private Event, December 11, 2017
2016
- Tips and Tricks for Gaining Insights About Your Clients and Prospects, Webinar (private sales team presentation), October 13, 2016
- Easy Answers to Tough Questions on the ROI of Workplace Change, IFMA Annual Conference, San Diego CA, October 5, 2016
- Mobile Work: From Campus Mobile to Co-Working, Webinar (private client sales team presentation), September 22, 2016
- Measuring Employee Productivity: The Holy Grail of Workplace Change, Webinar (private sales team presentation), July 13, 2016
- Employee Engagement: The Impact of Work & Place, Webinar (private client sales team presentation), June 22, 2016
- Latest Trends in Remote Work, TRaD Conference, Georgetown WA, June 9, 2016
- The Business Case for Wellness & Well-Being, Webinar, June 1, 2016 (private client sales team presentation)
- The Brave New World of Work, Anaheim CA, February 2, 2016 (private client sales team presentation)
2015
- The Business Case of Health and Wellbeing in the Built Environment, GreenBuild, Washington DC, November 16, 2015
- The ROI of Workplace Wellbeing, University of Colorado Well Connected Symposium, Denver, November 13, 2015
- Big Data: The Good, The Bad and The Ugly, IFMA World Workplace, October 6-9, 2015
- Webinar: ROI of Wellness, IFMA Finance Council, August 18, 2015
- The Impact of Work and Place on Wellness, Well-Being, Engagement & the Bottom Line, RNL (private) Denver, May 28, 2015
- The Impact of Work and Place on Wellness, Well-Being, Engagement and the Bottom Line, CoreNet Denver, May 28, 2015
- The Future As Prologue, IFMA Facility Fusion Orlando, April 22, 2015
- The Impact of Work and Place on Well-Being, Engagement & the Bottom Line, IFMA Facility Fusion: Orlando, April 21, 2015
- Seven Experts on Telework and Flexible Workplace Policy, Agilquest Webinar, March 19, 2015, 1:00 p.m ET
- The Who What When Where and Why of Agile Work in Canada, IFMA Facility Fusion Keynote: Vancouver Canada March 10 & 11 2015
2014
- The Business Case for Well-Being: Costs, Benefits, and Case Studies, WELL2014, International Well Building Institute, New Orleans, October 20, 2014
- Workplace as a Strategic Business Tool, CoreNet Central Texas Chapter, Austin TX, October 9, 2014
- Personal ROI from the New Workplace—What’s In It For Me? Agile Workplace Conference 2014 by Agilquest.com, Arlington VA, September 23, 2014
- The Dollars and Sense of Healthy Workplaces, IFMA World Workplace 2014, New Orleans LA, September 17-19, 2014
- The Impact of Work and Place on Wellness, Well-Being & the Bottom Line, Webinar in cooperation with e-Work.com, Thursday, July 24, 2014
- Personal ROI from the New Workplace—What’s In It For Me? Webinar in cooperation with Agilquest.com, Wednesday, July 23, 2014
- The ROI of Workplace Wellbeing, Worktech14, May 15, 2014 (New York, NY) – Full video recording
- Selling Up, Down, and Sideways: How to change minds and win hearts, International Facilities Management Association World Workplace, April 17, 2014 (Washington DC)
- Employee Wellbeing and New Ways of Working, New Ways of Working, April 6, 2014 (Menlo Park, CA)
- The ROI of Telework, TMGov/USDA, March 20, 2014
- The Future of Workspace: Outsourcing, Maximizing, Optimizing, Global Workplace Network, January 29, 2014 (Santa Monica CA)
- Ten Things I Hate About Telework: Overcoming Common Myths and Misperceptions, TMGov/USDA, January 9, 2014
2013
- Remote Collaboration: The Great Debate The Effect of Productivity, Creativity and Innovation, IFMA World Workplace, October 4, 2013 (Philadelphia PA)
- Dorobek/GovLoop Insider Live Radio: Telework Tools and Trends, September 18, 2013
- Office of Personnel Management: The Return on Investment of Federal Telework – September 5, 2013 (webinar)
- Workplace Flexibility: The Reward That’s a Win for Both Employers and Employees, WorldatWork Annual Conference, April 30, 2013 (Philadelphia PA)
- Your Desk Job is Making You Fat, Sick, & Dead, SXSW with CitrixOnline – March 9, 2013, (Austin TX)
2012
- Calculating the Bottom Line Benefits of Workplace Flexibility, WorldatWork – September 27, 2012 (Scottsdale AZ)
- Workplace Flexibility: Making the Business Case – June 24, 2012, Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) Annual Conference (Atlanta GA)
- Digital Learning & the 21st Century Workspace – June 27, 2012, Digital Learning Marketplace and the Future Work Forum (London UK, via telepresence)
- USDA: Let’s Talk Telework, May 31, 2012
- Making the Business Case for Alternative Workplace Strategies – April 10, 2012, Sharp Healthcare (San Diego CA)
- Making Telework, Hoteling, and Desk Sharing Work in the Federal Government – April 26, 2012, U.S. GSA (webinar conducted at the request of GSA for federal managers)
- Telework: There’s Something In It For Everyone – November 17, 2012, SAIC (webinar)
- Telework: The Latest Research and Lessons from the Trenches, April 2, 2012, Association for Commuter Transportation and Anaheim Transportation Network
2011
- The State of Telework in the U.S. – How Individuals, Businesses, and Governments Benefit – October 13, 2011, The Telework Council of the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT) NetConference (audio recording, slides). Co-sponsored by the National Center for Transit Research at the University of South Florida and Best Workplaces for Commuters
- Making the Business Case & Human Capital: How to Implement Telework and What That Means – September 22, 2011, The Work Anywhere Symposium – Mobility is California’s Future (Sacramento CA)
- Shift Happens – The Business Case for Workplace Mobility, Intranet Benchmarking Forum (IBF) virtual keynote – September 14, 2011
- How to build the business case for Telework and Hoteling – July 21, 2011, webinar in cooperation with Agilquest
- Telework: the Who, What, When, Where & Why Not, Virtual Tertulia for New Ways of Working (NewWOW) – June 29, 2011
- Telework: Overcoming the Obstacles – May 24, 2011, Workshop at WorldatWork 2011 Conference (San Diego CA)
- Telework 101: How to Start a Remote Work Program – April 28, 2011, Webinar sponsored by CitrixOnline
- The Bottom Line on Telework Benefits in Canada – April 20, 2011, Virtual Press Conference releasing Canadian white paper, sponsored by WorkshiftCalgary
- The Shifting Nature of Work (in the U.K.): Bottom-Line Benefits of Telework – May 19, 2011 – Webinar sponsored by CitrixOnline
- Workshifting and the Executive Woman: A New Kind of Flexibility – March 2011 – Keynote for Watermark Institute
- The Bottom Line on the Mobile Workforce – March 2011 – Speech for Commercial Real Estate Women – Orange County CA
- Results-Based Management: A Smart Strategy for the Global, Mobile Workforce, November 2, 2011, Webinar sponsored by CitrixOnline
2010
- How To Use Public Relations to Make Money – June 2010 – Webinar sponsored by Verizon
- Telecommuting: Bottom Line Benefits – May 2010 – WorldatWork Annual Conference
2009
- Telecommuting and Sustainability Speech – June 2009 – apologies for the very poor video clip here
- Five Common Myths About Virtual Call Centers – June 2009 – Webinar (view just the slideshow here)
Let Us Help You Make Work, Work Better
Videos: Speeches & Events
by Kate Lister
Speeches/Events
Kate Lister and Kate North are workplace thought leaders and sought-after speakers
Enterprise Academy at Running Remote
Kate North, Brian Elliot, Sacha Connor, and Rosie Sargent put together a full day of incredible content specifically designed to help leaders of large and medium-sized companies solve their most pressing problems with the combination of remote, hybrid, and in-office work.
To preserve the privacy of the attendees, none of the Enterprise Academy were recorded.
Lisbon, Portugal (April 2024).
The Truth About the Distributed Work and the Fortune 1000
Dave Cairns has a virtual fireside chat with Kate Lister about the state of hybrid and remote work adoption among large and medium-sized employers around the globe.
Lisbon, Portugal and San Diego CA (April 2024)
Measuring the Impact of Remote/Hybrid Work
Kate Lister delivers keynote on how organizations can and should measure the impact of remote, hybrid, and in-office work on productivity, culture, engagement, innovation, and more.
Portalaise, Ireland
The Bottom Line on Productivity
Kate Lister offers attendees of this private user conference solid advice on how to measure and quantify productivity.
New Orleans LA
Season 2, Episode 1 of Lenovo Late Nite I.T.: Hybrid is Hard
In Episode 1 of the second season of Lenovo Late Nite I.T., Emmy Award Nominee Baratunde Thurston chats with Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, and Ryan Anderson, VP of Global Research & Insights, MillerKnoll about why hybrid work is hard and what employers need to do to make it easier.
January 2023
Kate Lister on Lenovo Late Nite I.T. — Bonus reel on hybrid equity in meetings
Kate talks with Emmy Award Nominee Baratunde Thurston about ensuring remote and onsite employees an equal say during hybrid meetings.
January 2023
The Unintended Consequences of Remote/Hybrid Work
Workplace Evolutionaries’ Moshpit #159
The overnight shift to remote and hybrid work has had unintended consequences on commercial real estate, workers and workplaces, and the economy and society. Kate Lister shares the good, the bad, and the ugly for each.
Enjoy all the Workplace Evoloutionaries Moshpit episodes here!
During this highly interactive webinar, Kate North and Jeff Saunders eleased the lates findings from the 2023 IFMA Global Expert Assessment to identify the changes in our industry and what it means to those responsible for real estate and facilities. Includes a lively panel discussion with Savills experts that further expands the conversation.
Making Hybrid Work, Work Better
Workplace Evolutionaries’ Moshpit #108
Quick presentation by Kate Lister on what business leaders are worried about vs. what they should be worried about with the return to office, hybrid work, and remote work strategies. It’s followed by a lively Moshpit discussion among some of the world’s top workplace strategy leaders and thinkers led by David Grey and Jomal McNeal. Enjoy all the Workplace Evoloutionaries Moshpit episodes here!
June 17, 2022
Kate Lister, Ira Wolfe, and Jason Cochran delight in a lively conversation about the future of work on the podcast Geeks, Geezers, and Googlization
May 2022, 40 minutes
Are Tech Companies Driving the Future of Work
Much has been said about the Future of Work as the pandemic accelerated remote and flexible work strategies. In this video, TeamIt’s CEO Alistar Shepherd-Cross and Director of TeamIt’s Remote Performance Academy, Candace Giesbrecht, interviews Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, a research-based consulting firm that has been helping organizations optimize flexible and distributed work for nearly two decades.
March 2022, 55 minutes
Cheddar News Interview with Kate Lister
Commentary on employees’ reaction to Apple decision to mandate employees return to the office at least three days a week.
August 24, 2022 (7 mins)
NorCal CoreNet Panel Discussion with:
Robert Teed, Founder, The Integri Group (Moderator)
Kate Lister, President, Global Workplace Analytics
Greg Fogg, Executive Managing Director, Cushman & Wakefield
Chandler Bonney, Director of Real Estate, Dropbox
Irene Thomas-Johnson, Executive Director, JLL
February 17, 2022 (60 mins)
CNBC interview with Kate Lister
Why the Great Resignation means hybrid work is here for good. Millions of U.S. workers are quitting their jobs in what some are calling the “Great Resignation.” Others, such as Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, see it as the “Great Reevaluation,” as workers seek increased flexibility.
January 2022, 25 minutes
Local Now: Where are we with hybrid/remote work? Where are we headed?
December 2021, 3 mins
ABC News: Bosses vs. Employees
Bosses vs. Employees: Who will win the battle between working from the office, home, or elsewhere?
August 2021, 1 minute
The Business Case for Remote and Hybrid Work
Formulating the business case of providing more choice and flexibility to employees regarding where, when, and how they perform their work is one of the first steps in creating a sustainable, strategic change. Kate Lister makes a compelling, data-based case – here available as a recording for recap and review.
August 31, 2021, 60 minutes
CNN: Financial workers told to get back to the office (2021)
CNN asks Kate what she thinks about companies that are mandating a return to the office. “If they’re not afraid, they should be,” when it comes to big banks losing workers over strict return to office policies, says Pres. of Global Workplace Analytics Kate Lister. Companies need to meet employee expectations for a hybrid work model or they’ll have “a rude awakening.”
June 2021, 6 minutes
The Who, What, When, Where, Why, and How of Work in a Post-Pandemic World
Kate Lister’s presentation (25 mins) at Remote by GitLab Conference
June 2021, 25 minutes
NBC Nightly News with Lester Holt: Working from Home Forever? May 2021
As many industries grapple with how to redesign office space to minimize health risks, this historic economic crisis is also forcing companies to cut costs with real estate on the chopping block.
May 2021, 2 minutes
The Future of Work – TheAgenda with Stephen Cole
For more than a year now, millions of people have been forced out of their offices by the pandemic to work from home. But is that a situation that’s here to stay? Or a temporary blip? An “aberration” as Goldman Sachs boss David Solomon has put it. In this episode of The Agenda, Stephen Cole considers the future of work, and asks what are the real benefits and potential pitfalls of a post-pandemic return to the office? Kate Lister, President of Global Workplace Analytics has been pressing for increased home-working for many years. She explains to Stephen how working from home can save employees three of their most precious commodities – their time, their money and even their sanity.
March 2021, 30 minutes
Hacking HR: Well-Being in a Remote World
Panel of experts discusses issues around well-being and remote work.
March 2021, 60 mins
CGTN Europe: The Agenda with Stephen Cole
For some, like Kate Lister, the President of Global Workplace Analytics, the current changes to our working practices are long overdue.
March 2021, 6 minutes
ABC Eyewitness News: Working from home saves money for workers and businesses
February 2021, 2 minutes
Kate interviews workplace leaders from Dell and ADP on remote/hybrid work best practices
In this panel discussion, Kate moderates a conversation with remote work pioneers Mohammed Chahdi, Director of HR Operations at Dell and Amy Freshman, Senior Director of HR at ADP, to learn how they’ve tackled hybrid work challenges in their organizations.
December 2020, 60 minutes
Kate Lister’s testimony before California’s Little Hoover Commission on transitioning state government workforce to permanent remote and hybrid work.
October 2020, 2+ hours
Wellbeing in the New World of Work, UnWired Conference 2020
WorkTech North America Conference: Work and home life are becoming increasingly blurred as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic. This expert panel addresses the importance of health and wellbeing in the workforce, examines the unique challenges posed by COVID-19, and shares practical tools to help prioritize mental health and enhance the employee experience while working remote.
Kate Lister interviews Sara Escobar, Director, Workplace Experience for Netflix, and D Sharma, Co-Founder and CEO of WellnessCoach
October 2020, 60 mins
Dropbox Presents: Meet the Future of Work Experts
Dropbox debuted its Future of Work series with three experts including Kate Lister. Here she outlines the benefits of distributed work for organizations.
October 2020, 3 minutes
Russia TV: Telecommuting more productive than office work
The Covid pandemic has forced the world to embark on a remote-working experiment. Is it merely a test run or our new reality? Will it transform working life as we know it? We talked to Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics.
October 2020, 25 minutes
CNN Interview: Workers are leaving big cities for good. Here’s where they’re going.
September 2020, 4 minutes
Ricoh Canada Panel Discussion – Future Work Canada
The Next Normal … How Covid-19 is creating lasting impacts to the workplace Home worker sentiment leading into the close of 2020 has shown many desire continuing with flexible work arrangements as we get back to work and reopen for business. In addition, many organizations plan to shift a percentage of previously on-site employees to permanent remote positions post-COVID-19.
September 2020, 25 minutes
Telework: Benefits, Best Practices, Pitfalls
What are the benefits or the negative impacts for employers and employees? Best practice: Pre and post-Covid. What about the people who can’t work from home? Can they benefit from this societal change? Can the positive environmental benefits be retained and how do we do that? Our panel of experts answers these questions and more.
September 2020, 60 minutes
Kate interviews Remote Work Experts from Gitlab, Twitter, and Github (2020)
CoreNet Silicon Valley: Kate Lister explores best practices for remote/hybrid work with leaders Darren Murph from Gitlab, Sameer Pangrekar from Twitter, and Lara Owen from Github
August 2020, 60 mins
Congressional Testimony: The business case for post-pandemic telework in government?
Kate Lister was one of only three witnesses invited to testify before a US Senate committee on the potential for post-pandemic telework in government.
Download Kate’s written testimony for the Congressional Record.
July 2020
CNBC: How Employers Could Be Spying On You While Working From Home
Some managers and CEOs are turning to “productivity management” software to track their employees while they work from home. How do systems like this affect employees? And are there limits to the ways in which employers can track their workers in pursuit of productivity?
June 2020, 15 minutes
Kate Lister’s Presentation to Livable California Shows us the Future of Teleworking. She is an expert on the subject and shares recent poll data and the economic and environmental advantages of teleworking.
June 2020, 40 minutes
Recently, people in Utah had to quickly make severe changes to their work and personal lives in response to the pandemic. Those with jobs that could be performed remotely have probably adapted and found a good routine. What does this mean for those working in offices? What will that workspace look like, and how will it perform? We know it won’t be as it was prior to the pandemic and will probably go through a few evolutions before landing on something long-term.
George Mason University: Paradigm Shift – The Future of Work and Workplaces
Our workplaces have been disrupted like never before. The Global Work-from-Home Experience Survey was launched in April to answer many of the questions on the minds of workers, corporate executives, office building owners, property managers, and workplace designers. Join Kate Lister, one of the authors of this ground-breaking survey, the Center for Real Estate Entrepreneurship, and Executive Development of the George Mason University School of Business, in a discussion of data-based insights and forecasts on the future of work and workplaces.
May 2020, 50 minutes
Tips and Tricks for Working and Managing Remotely
K Talks by Knoll Panel Discussion—Designing and implementing a plan for remote work is both a challenge and an opportunity. Join us for a live panel discussion with leading flexible workplace strategists and researchers to learn how to jumpstart success for you and your team.
April 2020, 50 minutes
Working from Home: How to adjust to the new reality of remote working | Ep. 01
Learn about the challenges of working from home, remote work operations, and get solutions on how to manage your facilities with a small staff during the COVID-19 crisis.
April 2020, 50 minutes
Still Working From Home: Adjusting to the new normal
Voice of America Interview with Kate Lister
Kate Lister, president of Global Workplace Analytics, talks with Voice of America about how work-from-home strategies are helping employers to continue operating during COVID-19.
April 2020, 20 minutes
Broadband and the Coronavirus Live Online
The viral growth of the fast-moving coronavirus COVID-19 within the United States is changing the face of Americans’ use of broadband for work, education, and confronting the digital divide.
March 2020, 60 minutes
CNBC interview about work-from-home trends during COVID-19
Social distancing regulations to combat the coronavirus outbreak are forcing millions of Americans to work remotely. However the trend of working at home has been on the rise of a while, with regular work at home growing 173 percent since 2005 according to Global Workplace Analytics. While research indicates the best work from home system requires 2-3 days in the office and 2-3 days at home, can employees still be productive during this outbreak? CNBC examines if the U.S. can still be productive while working from home.
March 2020, 20 minutes
The ROI of Hybrid and Remote Work
Transforming the Future of Work
Hewlett Packard Enterprise and Compucom on transforming the future of work
2020, 40 minutes
The Bottom-Line Impact of Workplace Flexibility
Workspan TV interviews Kate Lister about how to quantify the employer, employee, and environmental potential benefits of flexible work arrangements.
October 2019, 8 minutes
Here’s how telecommuting has evolved over the last decade
Telecommuting Could Save US $700B a Year (infographic slideshow).
October 2019, 1 minute
ABC-TV: Making It it San Diego – Telecommuting boom hits county
More commuters are becoming telecommuters.
July 2018, 5 minutes
The Bottom Line on Employee Productivity
iOffice Summit 2017, Keynote by Kate Lister
2017, 45 minutes
ABC News – Telework and the federal snow day
Global Workforce Analytics president Kate Lister discussed how telework could change the snow day for federal workers on Government Matters.
February 2016, 4 minutes
Workplace Evolutionaries at Bandimere Speedway
Workplace Evolutionaries, an IFMA community, at Bandimere Speedway in Denver where WE learned how collaboration leads to innovation to produce a winning strategy.
October 2015, 75 minutes
ACT/NCTR The State of Telework in U.S.
Telework continues to spark the interest of workers and workplaces. NetConference presenters Kate Lister from Global Workplace Analytics provides a synthesis of their latest research on the state of telework in the U.S.
August 2015, 60 minutes
What Drives Innovation in the Workplace?
WDM’s Bob Fox and Kathryn Nuss interview industry experts at a 2015 IFMA World Workplace gathering of Workplace Evolutionaries (WE) in Denver.
The ROI of Workplace / Employee Well-Being
WorkTech NY—”People cost far more than buildings and they can deliver far more than they cost. It’s time we started paying attention to what they need. This session will offer a model for quantifying the impact of work and place on employee wellbeing in terms of engagement, productivity, healthcare costs, and more.”
2014, 60 minutes
The ROI of Workplace Well-Being
Kate Lister makes the business case for workplace well-being at the Well Building Conference 2014 (conference teaser)
August 2014, 2 minutes
Tango Webinar – Defining and Communicating Workplace Personal ROI to the Workforce
In flexible and alternative workplace strategies such as telework and office hoteling, the individual workers face significant change and they need to understand the great benefits these changes bring. The expert panelists share their views and research on what these benefits to the individual are and then explore the methods and time to communicate those benefits to the workers.
June 2014, 60 minutes
Kate Lister discusses findings from a new tool that quantifies employer savings and increases in productivity from telework programs at the World at Work conference.
September 2010, 6-minute conference teaser
Let Us Help You Make Your Workplace Strategy, Work Better
We can help optimize your workplace strategy for return to office, hybrid work, remote work, collaboration, innovation, and more.
Telecommuting Advocacy Resources
by Tom
Telecommuting Advocacy Resources
Government Sponsored Telework Advocacy Programs (U.S. and Canada)
• 36 Commuting Solutions.org
Cash incentives for consumers who limit travel on Route 36 between Boulder and Denver
• Federal Telework
U.S. Government joint agency telecommuting site
• Georgia Telework / Clean Air Campaign
Free consulting services for employers interested in establishing telework programs
• Oregon.gov
Free resources, documents, agreements, etc.
• Telework Arizona
Telework program for Arizona public sector employees
• TeleworkVA
Telecommuting and work-at-home program for Virginia employers.
• WorkshiftCanada
Innovative government-funded program to increase telework in Calgary. Free resources and consulting for employers.
Work-Life Advocacy Groups
• Alliance For Work-Life Progress
Organization dedicated to advancing work-life as a business strategy integrating work, family and community.
• Families And Work Institute
Workplace flexibility and work/life family research and advocacy.
• Moms Rising
A grassroots organization that focuses on the most critical issues facing families including workplace flexibility.
• Work and Family Researchers Network
An international membership organization of interdisciplinary work and family researchers (formerly the Sloan Network). Includes a family subject matter repository, the Work and Family Commons.
• Workplace Flex2010
Workplace Flexibility 2010 is a campaign to support the development of a comprehensive national policy on workplace flexibility.
Let Global Workplace Analytics Help:
Click here for a summary of how we help employers and community leaders make the business case for telework and other agile workplace strategies or contact us directly.
Research Roundup
by Tom
Research Roundup
2005-2009 American Community Survey / Employment Status
2004 BLS Current Population Survey
2002 Survey of Business Owners
2007 U.S. Gulf Oil Imports
2007 CEA Energy & Greenhouse Gas Emissions Impact
Bureau of Transportation Statistics (BTS) Omnibus Household Survey
Reason Foundation – The Quiet Success: Telecommuting’s Impact on Transportation and Beyond (2005)
Energy Information Administration – How Gas Is Formed
Hybrid Work Costs and Benefits
by Tom
The Costs and Benefits of Hybrid Work
Summary of the Research on the Costs/Benefits of Hybrid, Remote, and Distributed Workplace Strategies
for employers, employees, and the environent
In addition to our own research, we have cataloged over 7,000 research papers, case studies, industry reports, and articles about the who, what, when, where, why, and how of work. Below is a summary of what the research shows to be the most common advantages and disadvantages of hybrid and distributed workplace strategies for employers, employees, and society.
Improves employee satisfaction
- People are sick of the rat-race, eager to take control of their lives, and desperate to find a balance between work and life.
- Two-thirds of people want to work from home.
- 36% would choose it over a pay raise.
- A poll of 1,500 technology professionals revealed that 37% would take a pay cut of 10% if they could work from home.
- Gen Y’ers are more difficult to recruit (as reported by 56% of hiring managers) and to retain (as reported by 64% of hiring managers), but they are particularly attracted to flexible work arrangements (rating among benefits as an 8 on a 10 scale for impact on overall job satisfaction).
- 80% of employees consider telework a job perk.
Reduces attrition
- Losing a valued employee can cost an employer $10,000 to $30,000.
- Recruiting and training a new hire costs thousands.
- 14% of Americans have changed jobs to shorten the commute.
- 46% of companies that allow telework say it has reduced attrition.
- 95% of employers say telework has a high impact on employee retention.
- Almost half of employees feel their commute is getting worse; 70% of them feel their employers should take the lead in helping them solve the problem.
- 92% of employees are concerned with the high cost of fuel and 80% of them specifically cite the cost of commuting to work. 73% feel their employers should take the lead in helping them reduce their commuting costs.
- Two-thirds of employees would take another job to ease the commute.
Reduces unscheduled absences
- 78% of employees who call in sick, really aren’t. They do so because of family issues, personal needs, and stress.
- Unscheduled absences cost employers $1,800/employee/year; that adds up to $300 billion/year for U.S. companies.
- American Management Association, organizations that implemented a telework program, realized a 63% reduction in unscheduled absences.
- Teleworkers typically continue to work when they’re sick (without infecting others).
- Teleworkers return to work more quickly following surgery or medical issues.
- Flexible hours allow teleworkers to run errands or schedule appointments without losing a full day.
Increases productivity
- Best Buy, British Telecom, Dow Chemical, and many others show that teleworkers are 35-40% more productive.
- Businesses lose $600 billion a year in workplace distractions.
- Over two-thirds of employers report increased productivity among their telecommuters.
- Sun Microsystems’ experience suggests that employees spend 60% of the commuting time they save performing work for the company.
- AT&T workers work five more hours at home than their office workers.
- JD Edwards teleworkers are 20-25% more productive than their office counterparts.
- American Express workers produced 43% more than their office based counterparts.
- Compaq increased productivity 15-45%.
Saves employers money
- Nearly six out of ten employers identify cost savings as a significant benefit to telecommuting.
- Alpine Access Remote Agents close 30% more sales than traditional agents the year before. Customer complaints decreased by 90%. And turnover decreased by 88%.
- IBM slashed real estate costs by $50 million.
- McKesson saves $2 million a year.
- Nortel estimates that they save $100,000 per employee they don’t have to relocate.
- Average real estate savings with full-time telework is $10,000/employee/year.
- Partial telework can offer real estate savings by instituting an office hoteling program.
- Dow Chemical and Nortel save over 30% on non-real estate costs.
- Sun Microsystems saves $68 million a year in real estate costs.
- Offers inexpensive compliance with ADA for disabled workers.
- Saves brick and mortar costs in industries where regulations or needs require local workers (e.g. healthcare, e-tail).
Equalizes personalities and reduces potential for discrimination
- Hiring sight unseen, as some all-virtual employers do, greatly reduces the potential for discrimination.
- It ensures that people are judged by what they do versus what they look like.
- Communications via focus groups, instant messaging, and the like equalizes personalities. No longer is the loudest voice the one that’s heard.
Cuts down on wasted meetings
- Asynchronous communications allow people to communicate more efficiently.
- Web-based meetings are better-planned and more apt to stay on message.
Increases employee empowerment
- Remote work forces people to be more independent and self-directed.
Increases collaboration
- Once telework technologies are in place, employees and contractors can work together without regard to logistics. This substantially increases collaboration options.
Provides new employment opportunities for the un- and under-employed
- Eighteen million Americans with some college education aren’t working.
- More than 12% of the working-age population are disabled (16 million). A full three-quarters of unemployed workers with disabilities cite discrimination in the workplace and lack of transportation as major factors that prevent them from working.
- 24 million Americans work part-time.
- Only 75% of women, still the traditional primary caregivers age twenty-five to fifty-four, participate in the labor force (compared to 90% of men). Almost a quarter of women work part-time (16.5 million), compared to 10% of men.
Expands the talent pool
- Over 40% of employers are feeling the labor pinch; that will worsen as Boomers retire.
- Reduces geographic boundaries.
- Provides access to disabled workers.
- Offers an alternative that would have otherwise kept parents and senior caregivers out of the workforce.
- Offers geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity that would not otherwise be possible.
- Over 70%of employees report that the ability telecommute will be somewhat to extremely important in choosing their next job.
Slows the brain-drain due to retiring Boomers
- 75% of retirees want to continue to work – but they want the flexibility to enjoy their retirement.
- 36% of retirees say the ability to work part-time rather than full-time, or to work from home would have encouraged them to keep working – even if it didn’t provide health benefits or meant a temporarily reduced pension.
- 38% of surveyed retirees indicated that being able to work seasonally or on a independent contractor basis would have encouraged them to delay retirement.
- 71% of retired workers who later decided to go back to work, originally retired because of a desire for more flexibility than their job offered.
Reduces staffing redundancies and offers quick scale-up and scale-down options
- Having access to a flexible at-home workforce allows call centers, airlines, and others to add and reduce staff quickly as needed.
- The need to overstaff ‘just in case’ is greatly reduced.
- 24/7 worldwide coverage is easier to staff with home-based help.
Environmentally friendly policies are good for companies
- Sun Microsystems reported that its 24,000 U.S. employees participating in the Open Work Program avoided producing 32,000 metric tons of CO2 last year by driving less often to and from work.
- Office equipment energy consumption rate is twice that of home office equipment energy consumption.
- 70% of employees report they would see their companies in a more favorable light if they helped them reduce their carbon emissions.
- 24% of employees say they’d take a pay cut of up to 10% to help the environment.
Reduces traffic jams
- If traffic continues to grow at the current pace, over the next couple of decades drivers in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland, San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle-Tacoma, and Washington, D.C. will be sitting in daily traffic jams worse than the infamous traffic jams that plague Los Angeles eight hours a day.
- As a result, commutes will take almost twice as long and you’ll have to leave even earlier to allow for traffic jams if you have to arrive someplace at a specific time, producing a further reduction to our national productivity.
- Traffic jams rob the U.S. economy of $78 billion/year in productivity.
- Traffic jams idle away almost three billion gallons of gas and accounts for 26 million extra tons of greenhouse gases.
- Every 1% reduction in vehicles yields a three-fold decrease in congestion.
Prevents traffic accidents
- Half-time telework, for the portion of the population that holds telework-compatible jobs and wants to work from home, would save more than 1,600 lives, prevent almost 99,000 injuries, and save over $12 billion a year in direct and indirect costs associated with traffic accidents.
Takes the pressure off our crumbling transportation infrastructure
- New roads are being built to meet needs of ten to twenty years ago. Less than 6% of our cities’ roads have kept pace with demand over the past decade.
- By 2025 we’ll need another 104,000 additional lane miles – that will cost $530 billion.
Ensures continuity of operations in the event of a disaster
- Federal workers are required to telework to the maximum extent possible for this reason.
- Bird flu, terrorism, roadway problems, and weather-related disasters are all drivers.
- Three-quarters of teleworkers say they could continue to work in the event of a disaster compared with just 28% of non-teleworkers.
Improves performance measurement systems
- Drucker, Six Sigma, and management experts agree that goal setting and performance measurement is key to successful management.
- For telework to work, employees must be measured by what they do, not where or how they do it.
Offers access to grants and financial incentives
- A number of states, including Virginia, Georgia, and Oregon offer financial incentives for businesses to adopt telework. Other states including Arizona, Vermont, Washington, and Connecticut offer free training to encourage companies to give it a try.
The Obstacles To Work At Home and Telecommuting Programs
Management mistrust
- 75% of managers say they trust their employee, but a third say they’d like to be able to see them, just to be sure.
- Company culture must embrace the concept at all levels; sweatshop and typing pool mentality has to be abandoned.
- From Peter Drucker’s introduction of Management-By-Objectives in the mid-1950’s, to Six Sigma which was popularized by General Electric’s Jack Welch in the 1990’s, setting and measuring goals has long been held as the key to good management.
It’s not for everyone
- For some, social needs must be addressed. Telephone, email, instant messaging are a solution for some. Innovative solutions such as virtual outings, online games, and even Second Life have proven successful as well. Occasional telework is also a solution.
- Telecommuters must be self-directed.
- They should be comfortable with technology or arrangements should be made for remote tech support.
- They should have a defined home office space.
- Home-based employees need to understand that telecommuting is not a suitable replacement for daycare unless they can schedule work hours around their children’s needs.
Career fears from ‘out of sight, out of mind’ mentality
- Some employees cite career fears as a reason not to telecommute. Successful teleworking programs overcome the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ issue with performance-based measurement systems, productivity versus presenteeism attitudes. Teleworkers who maintain regular communications (telephone, email, instant chat, even the occasional face-to-face meeting) with traditional co-workers and managers find career impact is not an issue.
Co-worker jealousy
- Employees need to understand why they were or were not chosen for telework.
- Employees should see telework as a benefit that is earned, not given.
- Standards of selection should be uniform.
Security issues
- Almost 93% of managers involved in IRS pilot telework program believe there is no problem with data security.
- Security issues are easy to solve, but must be addressed.
- 90% of those charged with security in large organizations feel that home-based workers are not a security concern. In fact, they are more concerned with the occasional work that is taken out of the office by traditional employees who lack the training, tools, and technologies that teleworkers receive.
- Security training should be provided for all employees.
IT infrastructure changes may be necessary
- Teleworkers need access to company systems, software, and data.
- Infrastructure changes that support telework improve efficiency for office and traveling employees as well.
- Companies need to address remote technical support issues. Off-the-shelf solutions exist.
Collaboration concerns
- Some managers feel that distance inhibits collaboration. They need the ‘energy in the room’ when a crisis occurs.
Double-taxation
- Some cities, notably New York, impose taxes on home-based workers whether they work in the city or not. A Connecticut resident who works at home for a New York company owes taxes to both states.
Employment law and OSHA concerns
- A few recent accidents in the homes of teleworkers has raised concerns about employer liability.
- The inability to monitor employee overtime is also an issue.
Local zoning issues
- Some communities and homeowner associations prohibit home offices.
Distributed work, hybrid work, remote work, anywhere working, or whatever label you want to put on it, offers many benefits for employers, employees, and the environment.
Organizational leaders primarily see it as a way to save money on real estate, improve attraction and retention, reduce work-life conflict, increase productivity, mitigate the risk of unexpected events that would otherwise threaten business continuity.
Workforce planners see it as a way to reduce under-employment, fill talent shortages, slow the brain drain, increase diversity, and improve employee well-being.
Human resource professionals see it as a way to recruit and retain the best people, fill talent and skills gaps, increase diversity, and improve employee well-being and engagement.
Environmentalists applaud it because it significantly reduces greenhouse gases and energy usage.
Urban planners realize it can reduce traffic, reduce the gap between transportation supply and demand, slow the outbound migration of talent, and revitalize cities.
Employees enjoy it because it saves them time and money and improves their quality of life.
Disabled workers, rural residents, and military families appreciate it as way to address their special needs.
Governments see it as a way to reduce transportation infrastructure costs, improve the environment, enhance the ability to contain the spread of disease, and reduce the risk of a widescale business shutdown in the event of an emergency.
Pets love it because it keeps their human home all day and increases the potential for belly rubs, walks, treats, and more.
Advantages of Telecommuting For Companies *
Telecommuting improves employee satisfaction
- People are sick of the rat-race, eager to take control of their lives, and desperate to find a balance between work and life.
- 79% of people want to work from home.
- 36% would choose it over a pay raise.
- A poll of 1,500 technology professionals revealed that 37% would take a pay cut of 10% if they could work from home.
- Gen Y’ers are more difficult to recruit (as reported by 56% of hiring managers) and to retain (as reported by 64% of hiring managers), but they are particularly attracted to flexible work arrangements (ranked as 8 on a 10-point scale for impact on overall job satisfaction).
- 80% of employees consider telework a job perk.
Telecommuting reduces attrition
- The cost of replacing an employee extends far beyond the recruiting process. It includes separation costs, temporary replacement costs, and lost productivity training costs, and frequently lost customers, co-workers, and corporate intelligence. Studies put the cost as high as 75% of non-exempt person’s earnings, and 150-200% of an exempt person’s salary.
- 61% of employees who do not currently work from home say they are willing to give up some pay in exchange for being allowed to do so.
- 68% of participants in Shering-Plough Corporation’s telework program, which dates back to 1999, say that being able to telework is a factor in their decision to stay with the company
- 14% of Americans have changed jobs in order to shorten the commute.
- 46% of companies that allow telecommuting say it has reduced attrition.
- 72% of employers say telework has a high impact on employee retention.
- Almost half of employees feel their commute is getting worse; 70% of them feel their employers should take the lead in helping them solve the problem.
- 92% of employees are concerned with the high cost of fuel and 80% of them specifically cite the cost of commuting to work. 73% feel their employers should take the lead in helping them reduce their commuting costs.
- Two-thirds of employees would take another job to ease the commute.
Telecommuting reduces unscheduled absences
- 78% of employees who call in sick, really aren’t. They do so because of family issues, personal needs, and stress.
- Unscheduled absences cost employers $1,800/employee/year; that adds up to $300 billion/year for U.S. companies.
- Telecommuting programs reduce unscheduled absences by 63%.
- Telecommuters typically continue to work when they’re sick (without infecting others).
- The cost of replacing an employee extends far beyond the recruiting process. It includes separation costs, temporary replacement costs, and lost productivity training costs, and frequently lost customers, co-workers, and corporate intelligence. Telecommuters return to work more quickly following surgery or medical issues.
- Flexible hours allow telecommuters to run errands or schedule appointments without losing a full day.
Telecommuting increases productivity
- Best Buy, British Telecom, Dow Chemical and many others show that teleworkers are 35-40% more productive.
- Businesses lose $600 billion a year in workplace distractions.
- Over two-thirds of employers report increased productivity among their telecommuters.
- Sun Microsystems’ experience suggests that employees spend 60% of the commuting time they save performing work for the company.
- AT&T workers work five more hours at home than their office workers.
- JD Edwards teleworkers are 20-25% more productive than their office counterparts.
- American Express workers produced 43% more than their office based counterpoints.
- Compaq increased productivity 15-45%.
Telecommuting saves employers money
- Our own Telework Savings Calculator shows that if the Americans who hold work-at-home compatible jobs did so just half of the time, U.S. companies could collectively increase their bottom lines between $525 and $665 billion/year as a result of savings in real estate, absenteeism, turnover, and increased productivity. That’s between $10,400 and $13,200/employee/year. Full-time telecommuting can save companies between $20,000 and $37,000/employee/year.
- Nearly six out of ten employers identify cost savings as a significant benefit to telecommuting.
- Alpine Access Remote Agents closed 30% more sales than traditional agents the year before. Customer complaints decreased by 90%. And turnover decreased by 88%.
- IBM slashed real estate costs by $50 million through telework.
- McKesson’s telecommuting program saves $2 million a year.
- Mindwave Research, a 21-person marketing research company, saves over $11,000 by allowing half of its staff to work from home full-time.
- Nortel estimates that they save $100,000 per employee they don’t have to relocate.
- Partial telework can offer real estate savings by instituting an office hoteling program.
- Dow Chemical and Nortel save over 30% on non-real estate costs.
- Sun Microsystems saves $68 million a year in real estate costs.
- ADA compliance for disabled workers is easy if you let them telecommute.
- Brick and mortar costs can be reduced in industries where regulations or needs require local workers (e.g. healthcare, e-tail, etc.).
- Telecommuting Equalizes personalities and reduces potential for discrimination.
- Hiring sight unseen, as some all-virtual employers do, greatly reduces the potential for discrimination.
- It ensures that people are judged by what they do versus what they look like.
- Communications via focus groups, instant messaging, and the like equalizes personalities. No longer is the loudest voice the one that’s heard.
Telecommuting cuts down on wasted meetings
- Asynchronous communications allow people to communicate more efficiently.
- Web-based meetings are better planned and more apt to stay on message.
Telecommuting increases employee empowerment
- Remote work forces people to be more independent and self-directed.
Telecommuting increases collaboration
- Once telework technologies are in place, employees and contractors can work together without regard to logistics. This substantially increases collaboration options.
Telecommuting provides new employment opportunities for the un- and under-employed
- 18 million Americans with some college education aren’t working.
- More than 12% of the working age population are disabled (16 million). A full three-quarters of unemployed workers with disabilities cite discrimination in the workplace and lack of transportation as major factors that prevent them from working.
- 24 million Americans work part-time.
- Only seventy-five percent of women, still the traditional primary caregivers age twenty-five to fifty-four, participate in the labor force (compared to ninety percent of men). Almost a quarter of women work part-time (16.5 million), compared to 10% of men.
Telecommuting expands the talent pool
- Over 40% of employers are feeling the labor pinch; that will worsen as Boomers retire.
- Geography doesn’t limit access to available workers.
- Disabled workers are not faced with travel complications.
- Caregivers may continue to work.
- Employees with geographic, socioeconomic, and cultural diversity can positively impact company culture.
- Over 70% of employees report that the ability telecommute will be somewhat to extremely important in choosing their next job.
Telecommuting slows the brain drain due to retiring Boomers
- 75% of retirees want to continue to work – but they want the flexibility to enjoy their retirement.
- 36% of retirees say the ability to work part- rather than full-time or to work from home would have encouraged them to keep working – even if it the arrangement didn’t provide health benefits or meant a temporarily reduced pension.
- 38% of surveyed retirees indicated that being able to work seasonally or on an independent contractor basis would have encouraged them to delay retirement.
- 71% of retired workers who later decided to go back to work, originally retired because of a desire for more flexibility than their job offered.
Telecommuting reduces staffing redundancies and offers quick scale-up and scale-down options
- Having access to a flexible at-home workforce allows call centers, airlines, and others to add and reduce staff quickly as needed.
- The need to overstaff “just in case” is greatly reduced.
- 24/7 worldwide coverage is easier to staff with home-based help.
Environmental friendly policies are good for companies
- Tougher environmental laws are coming. Several cities are considering access taxes similar to those imposed in London. Many states are implementing programs that require businesses to reduce their carbon footprint. In 2008, Wal-Mart, together with Cadbury Schweppes (CSG), Imperial Tobacco (ITY), Nestlé, Procter & Gamble (PG, Fortune 500), Tesco, and Unilever (UN) formed the Supply Chain Leadership Coalition and began asking their vendors to provide emissions data. When its pilot ends later this year, Wal-Mart will begin comparing suppliers’ emissions records and favoring those with better scores.
- Businesses that want to stay competitive will need to pay attention to their carbon footprint.
- Telework offers an easy, effective way for companies to reduce their carbon footprint.
- Telework offers perhaps the easiest, cheapest way to address Clean Air Act requirements.
- Sun Microsystems reported that its 24,000 U.S. employees participating in the Open Work Program avoided producing 32,000 metric tons of CO2 last year by driving less often to and from work.
- Office equipment energy consumption rate is twice that of home office equipment energy consumption.
- 70% of employees report they would see their companies in a more favorable light if they helped them reduce their carbon emissions.
- 24% of employees say they’d take a pay cut of up to 10% to help the environment.
Telecommuting ensures continuity of operations in the event of a disaster
- Federal workers are required to telework to the maximum extent possible for this reason.
- Bird flu, terrorism, roadway problems, and weather-related disasters are all issues that can be mitigated with telecommuting.
- Three-quarters of teleworkers say they could continue to work in the event of a disaster compared with just 28% on non-teleworkers.
Telecommuting improves performance measurement systems
- Drucker, Six Sigma, and management experts agree that goal setting and performance measurement is key to successful management.
- For telework to be successful, employees must be measured by what they do, not where or how they do it.
Telecommuting offers access to grants and financial incentives
- A number of states including Virginia, Georgia, and Oregon offer financial incentives for businesses to adopt telework. Other states including Arizona, Vermont, Washington, and Connecticut offer free training to encourage companies to give it a try.
Advantages of Telecommuting For the Community *
Telecommuting reduces our foreign oil dependence
- Half-time telework (roughly the national average among those who already do) by those with compatible jobs and a desire to work from home could reduce Gulf Oil imports by 45%.
- Saves 281 million barrels of oil worth $22 billion in oil imports.
Telecommuting slows global warming
- Half-time telecommuting could reduce carbon emissions by over 51 million metric tons a year – the equivalent of taking all of New York’s commuters off the road.
- Additional carbon footprint savings will come from reduced: office energy, roadway repairs, urban heating, office construction, business travel, paper usage (as electronic documents replace paper).
Telecommuting bolsters pandemic and disaster preparedness
- Three-quarters of teleworkers say they could continue to work in the event of a disaster compared with just 28% of non-teleworkers.
- A decentralized workforce means there is no World Trade Center or Pentagon-like target to attack. If an attack does occur, fewer people will be effected, economic stability will be maintained, and continuity of operations is assured.
Telecommuting redistributes wealth
- Location-independent job opportunities offer better employment options to rural workers.
National productivity would increase $334 billion to $467 billion a year through telecommuting
- Studies and empirical evidence shows productivity increases between 15 and 55%. Based on the average teleworker salary, the increase in productivity would add up to over six million man-years of work.
- Cost savings from telecommuting will encourage home-shoring and bring back many of the jobs that have been lost to foreign labor.
Telecommuting reduces traffic jams
- If traffic continues to grow at the current pace, over the next couple of decades drivers in Atlanta, Baltimore, Chicago, Denver, Las Vegas, Miami, Minneapolis/St. Paul, Portland, San Francisco-Oakland, Seattle-Tacoma, and Washington, D.C. will be sitting in daily traffic jams worse than the infamous traffic jams that plague Los Angeles eight hours a day.
- As a result, commutes will take almost twice as long and you’ll have to leave even earlier to allow for traffic jams if you have to arrive someplace at a specific time, producing a further reduction to our national productivity.
- Traffic jams rob the U.S. economy of $78 billion/year in productivity.
- Traffic jams idle away almost three billion gallons of gas and accounts for 26 million extra tons of greenhouse gases.
- Every 1% reduction in vehicles yields a three-fold decrease in congestion.
Telecommuting prevents traffic accidents
- Half-time telework for the 50 million Americans with compatible jobs and a desire to work from home at least part of the time would save 1,500 lives, prevent almost 95,000 traffic-related injuries and deaths, and save over $11 billion a year in related costs.
Telecommuting takes the pressure off our crumbling transportation infrastructure
- New roads are being built to meet needs of ten to twenty years ago. Less than 6% of our cities’ road construction has kept pace with demand over the past decade.
- By 2025 we’ll need another 104,000 additional lane miles – that will cost $530 billion – money the cities just don’t have.
- Half-time telework would reduce road wear and tear by 112 billion miles a year.
Advantages of Telecommuting For Employees *
Telecommuting saves employees money
- Employees save on gas, clothes, food, parking, and in some cases, daycare (provided they can flex their hours to eliminate the need).
- Average savings are $2,000 to $6,500/year/person for half-time telework.
- Telework allows employees to live in places where the cost of living is lower rather than being forced to live in high-cost urban locations close to company offices. Employees can save over $7,000/year for every $100,000 reduction in home value.
Telecommuting increases leisure time
- Full time telework results in an extra 2-3 workweeks of free time a year – time that would have been spent commuting.
- The majority of teleworkers report they have more time with family, friends, and leisure.
Telecommuting reduces stress, illness, and injury
- 80% of diseases show that stress is a trigger. Because telework reduces stressful commutes and alleviates caregiver separation issues, teleworkers are likely to suffer fewer stress-related illnesses.
- A quarter of telework employers report improvements in employee health.
- Teleworkers are exposed to fewer occupational and environmental hazards at home.
- Teleworkers suffer fewer airborne illnesses because of lack of contact with sick co-workers.
- Teleworkers report being able to make more time for exercise.
- Anyone who has ever dieted knows it’s harder to stay the course when you dine out. Teleworkers often eat healthier meals and are less inclined to consume fast food lunches.
- Those who choose to move to more rural areas can reduce the stress of the hustle and bustle cities and suburbs.
The Holdbacks To Telework / Telecommuting *
Management mistrust
- 75% of managers say they trust their employee, but a third say they’d like to be able to see them, just to be sure.
- Company culture must embrace the concept at all levels; sweatshop and typing pool mentality has to be abandoned.
- From Peter Drucker’s introduction of Management-By-Objectives in the mid-1950’s, to Six Sigma which was popularized by General Electric’s Jack Welch in the 1990’s, setting and measuring goals has long been held as the key to good management.
It’s not for everyone
- For some, social needs must be addressed. Telephone, email, instant messaging are a solution for some. Innovative solutions such as virtual outings, online games, and even Second Life have proven successful as well. Occasional telework is also a solution.
- Telecommuters must be self-directed.
- They should be comfortable with technology or arrangements should be made for remote tech support.
- They should have a defined home office space.
- Home-based employees need to understand that telecommuting is not a suitable replacement for daycare unless they can schedule work hours around their children’s needs.
- Some employees cite career fears as a reason not to telecommute. Successful teleworking programs overcome the ‘out of sight, out of mind’ issue with performance-based measurement systems, productivity versus presenteeism attitudes. Teleworkers who maintain regular communications (telephone, email, instant chat, even the occasional face-to-face meeting) with traditional co-workers and managers find career impact is not an issue.
Co-worker jealousy
- Employees need to understand why they were or were not chosen for telework.
- Employees should see telework as a benefit that is earned, not given.
- Standards of selection should be uniform.
Costs
- The average overall annual direct spend per virtual office employee was $2,710. Support costs average $1,231. Most organizations reported that virtual employees are provided with or reimbursed for: a laptop or desktop computer, software, cell phone, printer, voice/data communications, office supplies, and a fax machine. Most did not cover office setup, postage or courier services, scanners, PDAs or pagers, phone cards, or any sort of per diem.
- The U.S. General Services Administration estimates that a cost of $16 million to provide a basic teleworker at-home solution for 50,000 telecommuters (at an agency with 100,000 staff) can, in appropriate circumstances, be offset with a realization of over $36 million in benefits of the same period.
- NCR and Lucent found the savings from their telework programs were double the costs.
- In 2006, the U.S. GSA reported that an employer’s average first year cost per teleworker was $1,000 (often as low as $300).
- Only about a third of federal agencies pay for home office equipment, relying instead on the employee’s own equipment or providing equipment GSA already owns. Of those that do pay for equipment, most pay only a portion of the costs.
Security issues
- Almost 93% of managers involved in IRS pilot telework program believe there is no problem with data security.
- Security issues are easy to solve, but must be addressed.
- 90% of those charged with security in large organizations feel that home-based workers are not a security concern. In fact, they are more concerned with the occasional work that is taken out of the office by traditional employees who lack the training, tools, and technologies that teleworkers receive.
- Security training should be provided for all employees.
IT infrastructure changes may be necessary
- Teleworkers need access to company systems, software, and data.
- Infrastructure changes that support telework improve efficiency for office and traveling employees as well.
- Companies need to address remote technical support issues. Off-the-shelf solutions exist.
Collaboration Concerns
- Some managers feel that distance inhibits collaboration. They need the “energy in the room” when a crisis occurs.
Double taxation
- Some cities, notably New York, impose taxes on home-based workers whether they work in the city or not. A Connecticut resident, who works at home for a New York company, owes taxes to both states.
Employment Law and OSHA Concerns
- A few recent accidents in the homes of teleworkers have raised concerns about employer liability.
- The inability to monitor employee overtime is also an issue.
Local Zoning Issues
- Some communities and homeowner associations prohibit home offices.
For a roundup of the latest statistics on who’s telecommuting and how much, visit our Telecommuting Statistics Page. For a look at how we as a nation could benefit from regular telework, visit our Telework Savings Potential Page.
It’s time to make “the road less traveled” the way to work.
* Statistical information on this page comes from a wide range of studies. For additional information, reporters on assignment can email kate-at-GlobalWorkplaceAnalytics-dot-com. Please let us know what publication you represent, the nature of the article, your time frame, and the estimated date of publication. We’ll help if we can, and will always respond as quickly as possible. If you’re on deadline, please call 760-703-0377.
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We all know the pandemic has forever changed the ‘where’ of work, but the convergence with other trends are reshaping much more than that. This session is based on a presentation Kate was recently asked to deliver to NASA futurists. It will explore the data on how organizations are transforming their workplaces and work practices in a post-pandemic world and challenge viewers to think about how technological, social, economic, and other forces may impact the who, what, when, where, why, and how of work in the near and medium-term future.