Working at Home: It’s the dream of employees everywhere; a flexibly work environment
Telecommuting has grown in popularity. In 1999, only 18 of Fortune’s best companies to work for offered telecommuting. Today, 79 do. Some people just do it a day or so a week — so there are lots of options.
We’re also seeing a huge surge in the number of home-based customer service agents, the majority of whom are women. These are hourly, work-from-home employees across the county who take customer service calls for clients like J.Crew, 1-800-Flowers, Office Depot, the major airlines and more. These women set their own hours based on whatever works for them — averaging about 20 to 25 hours a week. You can earn $8 to $15 an hour — no commuting costs, no fancy business attire. It’s the ultimate in flexibility if you have a computer, high-speed Internet access, a land line and a quiet work space.
If you’re interested in this type of work, consider applying through the leaders in this industry, including Golden, Alpine Access in Colorado; LiveOps in Palo Alto, Calif.; or Working Solutions in Texas. You don’t have to live in these cities to work for these companies. They employ women throughout the country. What’s in it for the employer? Smart companies do these types of things to keep good employees, and to keep them happy. It’s not all altruism — it makes economic sense too.
The average cost of losing an employee is 1.5 times the employee’s annual salary because of lost productivity while the position is open, plus the cost of recruiting, hiring and training a replacement. By implementing these programs, employers benefit from increased retention and improved employee satisfaction, which boosts productivity and the bottom line.
Employers like Ernst & Young say their retention rates are currently at historic highs because the company culture embraces flexibility for employees at all levels.
