Yahoo! CEO Marissa Mayer's recent decision to ban
telecommuting has highlighted the issue of how employers of all
sizes respond to technological changes that are redefining the
workplace.
In addition to the savings of decreased overheard (in the form
of office space, equipment, or otherwise), telecommuting may
provide other tangible benefits. Indeed, recent studies suggest
that telecommuting may increase employee satisfaction, decrease
turnover (and consequently, recruiting and new employee training
costs), and decrease absenteeism. It can also reduce an
employer's "carbon footprint" by eliminating the
energy consumption associated with traveling to the workplace.
However, these technological changes also impact how supervisors
and subordinates interact, and the human component may lag behind
technological advances. A recent MIT study, for instance, found
that supervisors often look more favorably upon employees who put
in "face time."
