Telecommuting gets mixed reviews from employers

When it comes to allowing employees to work from home, executives have mixed opinions about whether the resulting productivity is better or worse.

According to a survey developed by OfficeTeam, an administrative staffing firm with 285 offices worldwide, 36 percent of executives polled see no difference in productivity levels between telecommuters and on-site workers. At the same time, 26 percent believe the arrangement compromises job performance, and 21 percent say it leads to higher productivity.

Liz Hubler, OfficeTeam executive director, concluded that the telecommuting option can be an effective recruitment and retention tool for staff-level employees, but the arrangement must be tailored to the individual work situation.