Working from home is best in moderation
A recent study reports that working from home should come with its own warning label—one that says we should do it moderately. The research says that telecommuting makes employees more satisfied and productive. However, if not done properly, employees will work longer hours and blur the lines between work and their personal lives.
The report, “How Effective is Telecommuting? Assessing the Status of Our Scientific Findings” published in Psychological Science in the Public Interest, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science, is authored by leading researchers in workplace psychology Tammy D. Allen (University of South Florida), Timothy D. Golden (Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute), and Kristen M. Shockley (City University of New York).
Allen and colleagues find evidence that telecommuting is indeed associated with various positive outcomes for employees, including greater job satisfaction, lower work stress, and even improved job performance.
But they also find that these positive outcomes don’t hold for all workers in all situations.
“Telecommuting may be most beneficial when it’s practiced to a moderate degree,” the researchers explain. “Face-to-face time may be particularly important at the start of new projects.”
Other important factors include whether employees get to choose if they telework, how much control they have over their schedules, the quality of their relationships with supervisors and coworkers, and the extent to which their work depends on others in the organization.
Exploring these moderating factors is “an essential contribution to the practical discussions of telecommuting,” Matos and Galinsky write in their commentary. “In other words, the impact of telecommuting depends on how and where it’s implemented.”
The research also makes clear that some benefits may come with specific tradeoffs. While telecommuting may allow employees to be more productive, it could also lead to longer work days; it may increase employees’ sense of autonomy in their own jobs but could reduce knowledge sharing with colleagues; and it may allow for more flexibility in juggling professional and personal responsibilities but could also blur the boundaries between work and family roles.
Ultimately, the success of a telecommuting arrangement will depend on individual fit, supportive management, and clear communication. When these factors align, telecommuting can be a boon not only to individual employees but also to the organization as a whole:
“Implementing an effective telecommuting plan can help organizations recruit top talent and create a more diverse work force,” Allen, Golden, and Shockley note. “And it can also give organizations an advantage in emergency situations, allowing employees to work when public transportation or power outages would otherwise prevent commuting.”
The full report is free to the public, online at http://www.psychologicalscience.org/index.php/publications/telecommuting.html.
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