Telecommuting Benefits: The Bottom Line

The purpose of this paper is to quantify the benefits of telecommuting for employers, employees, and the community.

Three decades have passed since the concept of telecommuting— the substitution of technology for commuter travel—was conceived. A broad body of evidence now corroborates the many economic, environmental, and societal benefits that researchers predicted. Occasional telecommuting (one day a month) has grown significantly in recent years—increasing 74% from 2005 to 2008, though few companies have adopted it as a regular, multiple days per week, business practice.