It is noticable in a number of companies that there is a marked increase in the number of workers who are not regularly present in the company office. Some companies in Silicon Valley are assuming that up to 40% of the workforce will be telecommuters in the near future.
There are sites devoted to the issues around telecommuting and teleworking, such as http://workingnowhere.com which also offer definitions and practical advice on running a home office and up to date information on developments including this info graphic.
A recent article on the BBC website also addresses the workplace of the future looking as far forward as 2025. Mark Heraghty, Managing Director of Virgin media Business forecasts a world where we will interact with co-workers who appear as holograms and be using interactive surfaces in the home to communicate ideas.
It looks like there are enough statistics to demonstrate that telework and telecommuting are moving into the mainstream.The advantages are not just for emplyees, employers can expect to save around $4000 a year per employee. So it looks likely that telecommuting is entering the mainstream and is also here to stay.
