employee telecommuting study - valley metro...opportunity to telecommute as a job benefit decreased...

Employee Telecommuting

Study

June 2007

Prepared For: Valley Metro

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page i

Table of Contents Section: Page #: Executive Summary and Conclusions.................................................... iii I. Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 A. Background and Methodology............................................................................. 1 B. Personal Demographics ....................................................................................... 1 C. Work Demographics............................................................................................ 3 D. City of Residence and Work................................................................................ 4 E. Off-site Electronic Access to Email and Work Files ............................................ 5 F. At-Home Overtime Workers ............................................................................... 6 II. Profile of Existing and Potential Telecommuters ................. 8 A. Existing Telecommuter Profile ............................................................................ 8 B. Potential Telecommuter Profile ......................................................................... 15 III. Attitudes of Employees Towards Telecommuting .............. 17 A. General Awareness of Telecommuting .............................................................. 17 B. Heard of “Telework”......................................................................................... 18 C. Employer Allows Telecommuting ..................................................................... 19 D. General Interest in Telecommuting.................................................................... 19 E. Reasons for Not Telecommuting among those who have Never Telecommuted. 20 F. Reasons for Not Telecommuting among Past Telecommuters............................ 20 G. Effect of Gas Prices on Interest in Telecommuting ............................................ 22 H. Believe Job is Suitable for Telecommuting........................................................ 23 I. Belief Supervisor would Allow Telecommuting ................................................ 24 J. Importance of Telecommuting as a Job Benefit ................................................. 26 K. Important Reasons to Telecommute................................................................... 27 L. Important Issues Affecting Telecommuting ....................................................... 29 M. Interest in Receiving Telecommuting Information............................................. 31 IV. Perspectives of the Telecommuters.......................................... 32 A. Desire to Continue Telecommuting ................................................................... 32 B. Type of Telecommuting Program ...................................................................... 32 C. Equipment Used While Telecommuting ............................................................ 33 D. Telecommuting and Productivity....................................................................... 35 E. Number of Telecommuters Compared to Last Year ........................................... 35 F. Likely to Seek New Position if Telecommuting No Longer Allowed................. 38 G. Frequency of Driving Trips on Telecommute Days............................................ 39

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page ii

Section: Page #: V. Attitudes of Employers Towards Telecommuting ............... 40 A. Management Support of Telecommuting........................................................... 40 B. Perceived Barriers to Telecommuting................................................................ 44

Questionnaire ............................................................................................... Appendix A Cross Tabulations ...........................................................................................Appendix B

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page iii

Executive Summary and Conclusions

Valley Metro / RPTA commissioned WestGroup Research of Phoenix to conduct a telephone survey of Phoenix-area employees regarding awareness and attitudes local of telecommuting as a work option. A total of 502, 10-minute surveys were completed during June of 2007. This was the fifth wave of tracking research, with previous studies completed in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2005. The margin of error for the total sample is +4.4% at a 95% confidence level and +9.0% for current at the same confidence level.

Executive Summary General Demographic Overview Slightly more men then women were interviewed this year (55% vs. 45%), with the average

respondent being 42 years of age. The majority is employed full time (91%) and has at least some college education (86%). Average household income continues to rise in 2007 with an average of $70,500 reported compared to $68,100 for 2005.

The average number of miles traveled by employees to work (one way) is approximately 15 miles; unchanged from 2005. However, it takes residents approximately 28 minutes to travel the distance to work, slightly longer than the 26.1 minutes reported in 2005 for the same distance.

There continues to be an overall increase in off-site electronic access to the work site. Almost two out of three employees now have access to work email (66% vs. 59% in 2005) and more than half have access to work files (54% vs. 51% in 2005).

Half of employed residents surveyed in 2007 say they sometimes work overtime hours at home or work at home during non-scheduled work hours (51%); this is up slightly compared to previous years (45% and 46%).

Profile of Existing Telecommuters For the first time since this tracking study began, the percentage of employed residents who

telecommute did not increase, but rather stayed the same. Nearly one in four (24%) Phoenix area employed residents report they currently telecommute at least occasionally.

Telecommuters also tend to be slightly older than non-telecommuters (43 years vs. 41.7 years) and have significantly higher annual household incomes ($92,300 vs. $63,500). Telecommuters also are more likely to have completed a higher level of education (94% with at least a college degree vs. 83% of non-telecommuters).

Compared to previous years, more males are telecommuting than in the past (62% vs. 56% in 2005), the average age of the telecommuter has decreased (43 years down from 46 years old in 2005), and the average income among current and past telecommuters is higher than ever before ($86,700 vs. $73,900 in 2005).

Commute distance and time spent commuting continues to be longer for current telecommuters than for non-telecommuters (16.9 miles vs. 14.4 miles; 30.1 minutes vs. 27.4 minutes). A higher proportion of telecommuters report working for smaller organizations

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page iv

(32% vs. 24% for non-telecommuters) and a higher proportion have management/administrative (37% vs. 19%) or sales/marketing positions (15% vs. 6).

The majority of those who telecommute have been doings so for more than three years (60%), a percentage which has steadily increased since 2002 (41%). Currently, almost half of those surveyed indicate they have been telecommuting for more than five years (45%). However, the percentage of new telecommuters is not increasing and remains at the lower level reported in 2005 (11% report telecommuting for less than one year vs. 21% in 2002).

Four out of five current telecommuters (76%) indicate they regularly telecommute (i.e., at least once per month); slightly lower than the 80% that reported regular telecommuting in 2005. In contrast, those who report telecommuting on an occasional basis (i.e., project by project or less than once a month) has increased from 12% in 2005 to 21% currently). If these percentages are translated to the total population of employed residents in the Valley, it means that 18% currently telecommute regularly (compared to 21% in 2005) and 6% telecommute occasionally (compared to 3% in 2005).

Profile of Potential Telecommuters The definition of “true potential telecommuters” used for discussion purposes in this report is

as follows: employed residents who are currently telecommuting or those who would like to telecommute and have jobs suitable for telecommuting and also feel their employers would allow them to telecommute. Using this definition, approximately 31% of the workforce qualifies as a “true” potential telecommuter,” nearly identical to the 30% found in the 2005 study.

This percentage increases to two in five (41%) qualifying as “good” potential telecommuters (employees who currently telecommute or do not have any obstacles as well as those who would like to telecommute and have suitable jobs, but their employer will not allow) and 60% for “ideal potential” telecommuters (includes all of the “good” potentials as well as those who would like to telecommute but do not have suitable jobs or employers who will allow them to) – both of which closely mirroring the results from 2005.

The “true potential” for telecommuting is highest among men (64% vs. 36% for women). On average, these employees have higher annual household incomes than employed residents overall ($88,200 vs. $70,500), are more likely to have graduated from college (74% vs. 57%), and are most likely to be in professional/technical (41%), management/administrative (33%), or sales/marketing (15%) positions within their organizations.

Attitudes of Employees toward Telecommuting Awareness of the concept of telecommuting continues to increase. In 2007, almost nine out

of ten Valley employees (88%) report that they have heard of telecommuting prior to taking the survey; this is up seven points from 2005 (81%).

One in ten respondents has heard the word “telework” used instead of the term telecommuting; a finding that has remained consistent for the last five years.

Roughly one in four employees who do not currently telecommute indicated that their employers did allow telecommuting at the time of the interview (26%).

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page v

The interest in telecommuting among those not currently telecommuting increased slightly in 2007 (46% compared to 41% for previous two survey years).

Non-telecommuting employees who currently work for a company that allows telecommuting primarily indicate that the characteristics of their current position make their job unsuitable for telecommuting (mentioned by 45%). Similarly, almost two out of three former telecommuters report that the main reason they are not currently telecommuting is because their job is not suitable (mentioned by 65%).

More than half of employees surveyed believe that increased gas prices have generated an increased interest in telecommuting among the employees at their company (53%). This is a significant increase from 2005 where 44% made the same inference.

Approximately one in three non-telecommuters (36%) believe the nature of their job would allow them to occasionally telecommute; one in five (21%) believe they could telecommute part-time; and one in ten (10%) believe they should be able to telecommute full time.

Just over one in four non-telecommuting employees indicated that they believe it is likely their supervisor would actually allow them to telecommute on an occasional basis (29%), this is down from 34% in 2005. This percentage decreases to 17% for those who believe their supervisor is likely to allow them to telecommute part time, and 8% who believe their supervisor would allow them to telecommute full-time.

If these percentages are translated to reflect the overall employee population, we find that in addition to the 24% of employees currently telecommuting another 8% of all employees feel their jobs are suitable and their supervisor would allow them to occasionally telecommute (compared to 9% in 2005); 4% believe they should be able to telecommute on a regular, part-time basis (compared to 5% in 2005); 4% believe they should be able to telecommute on a regular, part-time basis (compared to 5% in 2005), and 2% believe they should be able to telecommute full-time (compared to 4% in 2005).

The percentage of employed residents giving a “5” or “4” importance rating for having the opportunity to telecommute as a job benefit decreased seven points compared to 2005 (33% vs. 40%). As expected, the ability to telecommute is significantly more important to current telecommuters than it is to employees who do not telecommute (46% give a 4 or 5 rating vs. 28%).

Overall, the three perceived advantages to telecommuting that receive the highest ratings from telecommuters are avoiding the commute (73%), increased schedule flexibility (73%), and helping the environment and reduce pollution (62%); non-telecommuters are more likely to assign high importance to helping the environment (73%), avoiding the commute (72%), saving money (71%), and increased flexibility (63%).

Employees are most likely to report that having the right equipment at home would positively impact their ability to telecommute (63%), followed by having a suitable home environment or access to work files and email at home (59% for both).

Approximately one in four (25%)non-telecommuters expressed at least some interest in receiving information that would help them discuss the advantages of telecommuting with their employer (7% very interested; 17% somewhat interested).

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page vi

Perspectives of the Telecommuter Nearly all current telecommuters would like to continue telecommuting (96%), up from 88%

in 2005. More than one in four (27%) current telecommuters report that their company has a formal

telecommuting program. As in the past, a vast majority (99%; see Table 17) of telecommuters report that they use a

personal computer while telecommuting and 93% use a printer. High-speed Internet connections continue to gain ground among telecommuters with 90% reporting usage compared to 79% in 2005. Additionally, 73% of telecommuters report using a wi-fi router, again a significant increase from 2005 where only 55% reported using the technology.

The percentage of telecommuters reporting that their employer provides or subsidizes the equipment has increased slightly in 2007compared to 2005. Employers are most likely to provide a personal computer for employee use (reported by 52% compared to 43% in 2005 and 52% in 2000) followed by a phone line (29% compared to 26% in 2005 and 51% in 2000), or high speed Internet connection (29% compared to 22% in 2005, and 49% in 2000).

More than three in five current telecommuters (64%) report that working away from the office has a positive influence on their ability to get their work done.

More than half of current telecommuters report that their company has more telecommuters than it did one year ago (53%; up from 32% in 2005). The primary reason for the reported increase in telecommuters is company growth (mentioned by 16 of 65 current telecommuters, or 25%). However, an additional 11 telecommuters indicated that telecommuting has become more acceptable and eight indicated that the ability to easily access files from home has made the difference.

In 2007, 40% of current telecommuters indicated they would be very (20%) or somewhat (20%) likely to seek a new position if they were unable to telecommute any more, this compares to 43% in 2005 and 48% in 2002.

While most telecommuters do not make any driving trips during peak drive times on the days they work from home (33% rarely; 31% never), the percentage of telecommuters indicating they “always” make trips during peak hours when they telecommute increased from 13% to 18%.

Attitudes of Employers toward Telecommuting In 2007, current telecommuters were slightly more likely than in 2005 to indicate a high

level of support for telecommuting from the senior management at their company (61% gave a 4 or 5 rating compared to 54% in 2005). Telecommuters continue to report slightly higher support ratings from their supervisors than from senior management (69%; up from 63% in 2005 and 58% in 2002).

Only 16% of non-telecommuters reported support for telecommuting from senior management and 15% reported support from their supervisor.

Non-telecommuters who feel management at their company is not supportive of telecommuting were most likely to rate the perceived absence of telecommutable tasks as a

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page vii

significant barrier for telecommuting (60% gave a 4 or 5 rating). However, more than two in five non-telecommuters also believe that management is not supportive of telecommuting because of the perception that it is difficult to monitor the work done by the telecommuter (42% gave a 4 or 5 rating).

Current telecommuters who do not view management as supportive are most likely to rate “difficulty in monitoring performance” and “not trusting employees” as barriers to management support of a telecommuting program (29% for both attributes receiving 4 or 5 rating).

Conclusions

1. Awareness of telecommuting as a work option continues to increase and it is getting more attention in the media as an alternative that will help companies/employees combat higher gas prices and requirements to lower air pollution. Also, telecommuters are reporting higher levels of support for telecommuting from senior management and supervisors. This may be an opportunity for Valley Metro to increase the promotion of telecommuting as well as services it offers to assist employers and employees in setting up/expanding a telework program.

2. Technology barriers continue to fall with continuing increases in high-speed

Internet access as well as access to work email and files among the employed population. More than two in five non-telecommuting employees report having access to work email and files from home, and the proportion of employees who report working from home at night and on weekends is increasing.

3. It appears that having the right equipment and/or suitable home environment for

teleworking may be the “new” barriers replacing technology. Employees may feel they have the technology to be able to work at home in the evenings and on weekends, but they may not feel they are able to effectively work at home during the day on a regular basis because of the conditions at home. Supervisor support, however, also plays a role. Most non-telecommuters indicate their supervisors would not support telecommuting (although these same supervisors apparently “support” working from home on weekends and evenings because employees are being given access to work files and emails from home). Encouraging employees to ask supervisors to allow them to “try” telecommuting may be a way to test and see if these barriers are real or perceived.

4. It is disconcerting that the percentage of employees reporting to telecommuting at

least occasionally did not increase over the past two years, particularly in light of the perception of employees that there are more of their co-workers telecommuting now than a year ago. There also was a decrease in the number of new telecommuters (i.e., have been telecommuting for less than one year). It appears that there is a lot of “talk” about telecommuting but perhaps not much “action.” Once again, conditions appear to be “ripe” for Valley Metro to make a push for telecommuting – citing the key benefits of reducing air pollution, saving money, avoiding traffic congestion, and increased flexibility.

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page viii

5. Being able telework is more and more becoming an issue directly related to the scope

of a persons job responsibilities and personal preferences rather than about equipment or permission. Demographic differences between telecommuters and non-telecommuters at they related to size of company and age appear to be shrinking, while education and income level have come to the forefront in determining likelihood to telecommute.

Valley Metro 2007 Employee Telecommuting Study Page 1

I. Introduction A. Background and Methodology Valley Metro commissioned WestGroup Research of Phoenix to conduct a telephone survey of Phoenix-area employees. The purpose of the survey was to measure awareness and attitudes local employed residents have regarding telecommuting as a work option, as well as to examine the level of current participation and potential for telework in the future. This was the fifth wave of tracking, with previous studies completed in 1999, 2000, 2002, and 2005. A total of 502, 10-minute surveys were completed during June 2007. Calls were made by trained and experienced interviewers from the WestGroup Interviewing Center. The margin of error for the total sample is +4.4% at a 95% confidence level and +9.0% for current at the same confidence level. Due to a skew toward older employed residents in the random sample, the data were weighted to proportions more reflective of the employed population in the Metro- Phoenix area based on data from the US Census American Community Survey. This also brings the database more in line with the distribution reported in the previous employee telework studies. The table below shows the distribution by age in the original database compared to the weighted sample.

Age category Original Weighted

Under age 25 2% 10%

25 to 44 years old 35% 50%

45 to 54 years old 34% 25%

55 years or old 25% 15%

The following report summarizes the cross-tabulated results of the survey. Differences according to telecommuting habits, work experience, as well as data from previous studies are discussed where appropriate. The cross-tabulated results for this study are available under separate cover. B. Personal Demographics A wide variety of demographic measures were taken of the survey respondents (see Table 1 on following page). Overall, slightly more men then women were interviewed this year (55% vs. 45%). According to the U.S. Census Bureau in 2006 women made up 46% of the U.S. labor force. with the average respondent being 42 years of age. The majority is employed full time (91%) and has at least some college education (86%). Average household income continues to rise in 2007 with an average of $70,500 reported compared to $68,100 for 2005.


Table 1: Respondent Demographics

Characteristic

2007 (n=502)

2005 (n=504)

2002 (n=500)

2000 (n=674)

1999 (n=400)

Gender Male 55% 50% 50% 50% 55% Female 45% 50% 50% 50% 45%

Age

Under 25 10% 4% 7% 9% 8% 25 to 34 18% 21% 22% 22% 32% 35 to 44 30% 25% 28% 31% 32% 45 to 54 24% 25% 26% 24% 19% 55 to 64 12% 18% 10% 9% 7% 65+ 2% 2% 3% 2% 1% Average 42.0 yrs. 43.9 yrs 41.3 yrs 40.3 yrs 37.9 yrs

Employment Status Full-time 91% 88% 92% 88% 89% Part-time 9% 12% 8% 12% 11%

Education Less than HS 2% 1% 2% 2% 1% HS graduate 11% 13% 16% 17% 21% Some college 29% 33% 36% 38% 37% College graduate 31% 29% 23% 23% 26% Some grad. school 5% 6% 4% 5% 3% Graduate degree 21% 17% 16% 14% 12%

Income Under $15,000 4% 2% 3% 4% 5% $15K to $34,999 11% 11% 15% 21% 27% $35K to $54,999 17% 18% 22% 23% 22% $55K to $74,999 17% 16% 17% 16% 16% $75K to $94,999 13% 12% 11% 12% 7% $95,000 or more 26% 22% 15% 10% 8% Average $70,500 $68,100 $60,500 $54,900 $49,700


C. Work Demographics Of the 502 Phoenix-area employed residents surveyed, 24% confirm that they telecommute on a routine or occasional basis; a figure that remains unchanged since 2005. An additional 13% say they have telecommuted in the past, but are not currently using this option on a consistent basis, while 63% report that they have never telecommuted. The average number of miles traveled by employees to work (one way) is approximately 15 miles; again unchanged from 2005. It takes residents approximately 28 minutes to travel the distance to work, slightly longer than the 26.1 minutes reported in 2005 for the same distance. The highest proportion of employed respondents work in professional/technical positions (37%) and the majority of employees work for organizations that employ more than 50 employees (73%).

Table 2: Work Demographics Responses

2007 (n=502)

2005 (n=504)

2002 (n=500)

2000 (n=674)

1999 (n=400)

Telecommute Status

Current telecommuter 24% 24% 15% 12% 9% Past telecommuter 13% 13% 13% 8% 7% Never telecommuted 63% 63% 72% 80% 84%

Average miles to work 15.0 miles 15.0 miles 20 miles 15.4 miles 12.1 miles

Average time to work 28.0 min. 26.1 min. 26.6 min. 25.4 min. 20.9 min. Company size

Under 50 26% 27% n/a n/a n/a 50+ 73% 70% n/a n/a n/a Don’t know 1% 3% n/a n/a n/a Occupation

Professional/technical 37% 37% 38% 42% 34% Management/administ. 23% 20% 22% 18% 18% Clerical/support 10% 9% 10% 12% 15% Sales/marketing 8% 9% 8% 8% 9% Services/repair 7% 7% 11% 8% 11% Production/construction 7% 6% 8% 11% 11% CSR/call center 6% 9% - - -


D. City of Residence and Work Employees are most likely to live in Phoenix or Mesa, and most likely to work in Phoenix, Scottsdale and Tempe.

Table 3: City of Residence and Work

Responses

2007 (n=502)

2005 (n=504)

City of Residence

Phoenix 31% 35% Mesa 14% 14% Tempe 8% 5% Glendale 7% 6% Chandler 7% 10% Scottsdale 5% 7% Gilbert 5% 5% Peoria 4% 5% Surprise 4% 2% Avondale 2% - Other* 13% 10%

City of Work

Phoenix 39% 46% Scottsdale 15% 9% Tempe 14% 11% Mesa 7% 9% Chandler 6% 6% Glendale 4% 4% Other* 14% 12%

*Other indicates 1% or less consensus


E. Off-site Electronic Access to Email and Work Files There continues to be an overall increase in off-site electronic access to the work site. Almost two out of three employees now have access to work email (66% vs. 59% in 2005) and more than half have access to work files (54% vs. 51% in 2005). Although employed residents who do not currently telecommute are less likely to have electronic access to the work site (38% have no access compared to only 6% of telecommuters), more than two in five (43%) report access to work files and almost three in five (58%) has email access. Those most likely to have off-site electronic access to their work site include:

Males (62% work files; 70% email) Current telecommuters (93% work files; 87% email) Those with at least a college degree (64% work files; 76% email) Those with household incomes of more than $55,000 (66% work files; 78% email)

Off-site Electronic Access to Main Work Site

2007 n=502; 2005 n=504; 2002 n=500

66%

54%

32%

59%

51%

37%

51%

42%

46%

Work email

Work files

None/DK

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

200720052002


F. At-Home Overtime Workers 1. Percentage of At-Home Overtime Workers Half of employed residents surveyed in 2007 say they sometimes work overtime hours at home or work at home during non-scheduled work hours (51%); this is up slightly compared to previous years (45% and 46%). Current telecommuters are more likely than those who have never telecommuted to indicate they work at home after normal business hours (93% vs. 34%). Similarly, employees with a college degree and those with household incomes of more than $55,000 also are more likely than their comparative groups to report to work overtime hours at home (69% and 66%, respectively).

Working Overtime at HomeDo you ever do any kind of work at home AFTER normal work hours or on

the weekends that is related to your job?

2007 n=502; 2005 n=504; 2002 n=500

51%

49%

46%

54%

45%

55%

Yes

No

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%

200720052002


2. Reasons for At-Home Overtime Work More than half of those who take things home to work on after hours or on the weekend say they do so because they do not have enough time to get all their work done at the office during normal business hours (54%). In addition, employees in 2007 were more likely than in previous years to indicated that timing issues such as meeting a special deadline (15%) or having “around the clock” responsibilities to clients (12%) affected their at-home overtime rather than their home environment (i.e., “more productive time” dropped from 15% to 8% and “quieter at home” dropped from a previous high of 10% in 2002 to 3% currently). However, there was an increase in mentions of working at home in order to take care of the family (7% up from 2%) and finding the home environment more comfortable (6% compared to no previous mentions). Interestingly, non-telecommuters are more likely to indicate they take work home because they do not have enough time to get their work done at the office (58% vs. 48% of telecommuters), whereas telecommuters are more likely to indicate they have “24/7” client responsibilities (17% vs. 8%).

Table 4: Reasons for At-Home Overtime Work – Total Mentions

Responses

2007 (n=254)

2005 (n=232)

2002 (n=225)

Not enough time to get work done at the

office/too much work 54% 60% 64%

Meet special deadline 15% 4% 12% Responsibilities are 24/7 with clients 12% - - More productive time 8% 15% 14% Take care of family/children/flexibility 7% 2% 2% Prefer home/more comfortable 6% - - Quieter at home 3% 7% 10% Do all work out of my home 2% 5% 3% Preparation/next day planning 3% - - Self employed/owner 2% - - Avoid commuting 2% - - Other/Don’t know* 5% 9% 3%

What is the main reason you take things home to work on after hours or on the weekend? What other reasons? * Other indicates 1% or less consensus


II. Profile of Existing and Potential Telecommuters A. Existing Telecommuter Profile

Definition of Telecommuting Telecommuting is defined as working from home instead of commuting to and from a work-site that you are scheduled to report to. You can telecommute occasionally, that is on a project-by-project basis, or on a regular basis, that is one or more days a month. This does not include working overtime during non-scheduled work hours or operating a home-based business. 1. Percentage of Current Telecommuters The percentage of employed residents who telecommute has remained steady with levels in 2007 mirroring those found in 2005. Nearly one in four (24%) Phoenix area employed residents report they currently telecommute at least occasionally using the definition described in the box above. An additional 13% report they do not currently telecommute, but have telecommuted in the past.

Telecommute Status

(2007 n=502; 2005 n=504; 2002 n=500; 2000 n= 674, 1999 n=400)

24%

13%

63%

24%

13%

63%

15% 13%

72%

12%8%

80%

9% 7%

84%

Current telecommuter Past telecommuter Never telecommuted0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%

2007 2005 2002 2000 1999


2. Personal Demographic Characteristics Overall, telecommuters are more often males (62%). Telecommuters also tend to be slightly older than non-telecommuters (43 years vs. 41.7 years) and have significantly higher annual household incomes ($92,300 vs. $63,500). Telecommuters also are more likely to have completed a higher level of education (94% with at least a college degree vs. 83% of non-telecommuters). In general, compared to previous years, more males are telecommuting than in the past (62% vs. 56% in 2005), the average age of the telecommuter has decreased (43 years down from 46 years old in 2005), and the average income among current and past telecommuters is higher than ever before ($86,700 vs. $73,900 in 2005).

Table 5: Personal Demographics

2007 Breakdown Characteristic

2007 Current/Past TC (n=187)



Current TC

(n=123)

Non- TC

(n=379)

Gender Male 62% 56% 58% 62% 53% Female 38% 44% 42% 38% 47%

Age Under 25 2% 3% 4% 4% 12% 25 to 34 20% 14% 22% 17% 19% 35 to 44 33% 29% 29% 37% 27% 45 to 54 28% 26% 27% 26% 23% 55 to 64 10% 24% 11% 10% 13% 65+ 2% 2% 3% 2% 2% Average 43.2 yrs. 46.0 yrs 42.1 yrs 43.0 yrs. 41.7 yrs.

Education Less than HS - 1% 1% - 2% HS graduate 6% 12% 9% 5% 13% Some college 18% 26% 26% 17% 33% College graduate 37% 26% 29% 35% 30% Some grad. school 6% 8% 6% 8% 3% Graduate degree 31% 25% 25% 34% 17%

Income Under $15,000 1% 1% 1% 1% 5% $15K to $34,999 3% 9% 9% 1% 14% $35K to $54,999 11% 15% 18% 8% 19% $55K to $74,999 12% 16% 13% 11% 18% $75K to $94,999 14% 13% 14% 13% 14% $95,000 or more 44% 26% 26% 52% 18% Average $86,700 $73,900 $71,600 $92,300 $63,500


3. Employment Characteristics As in the past, telecommuters are most likely to be employed full-time (92%). The average commute distance and time for commute for telecommuters is down slightly from previous years (16.4 miles from 17.7 reported in 2005 and 29.9 minutes down slightly from 30.2 minutes). But as seen previously, commute distance and time spent commuting continues to be longer for current telecommuters than for non-telecommuters (16.9 miles vs. 14.4 miles; 30.1 minutes vs. 27.4 minutes). A higher proportion of telecommuters report working for smaller organizations (32% vs. 24% for non-telecommuters) and a higher proportion have management/administrative (37% vs. 19%) or sales/marketing positions (15% vs. 6%).

Table 6: Work Demographics

2007 Breakdown

Responses 2007

Current/Past

(n=187)



Current TC

(n=123)

Non- TC

(n=379) Employment Status

Full-time 93% 92% 97% 92% 90% Part-time 7% 8% 3% 8% 10%

Telecommute Status

Current telecommuter 66% 65% 54% 100% - Past telecommuter 34% 35% 46% - - Never TC - - - - 100%

Avg. miles to work 16.4 miles

17.7 miles

24.9 miles

16.9 miles

14.4 miles

Avg. time to work 29.9 min. 30.2 min. 34.8 min. 30.1 min. 27.4 min.

Company size <50 employees 29% 27% 31% 32% 24% 50+ employees 71% 70% 60% 68% 74%

Occupation

Prof./technical 41% 38% 43% 40% 36% Mgmt./admin. 34% 25% 27% 37% 19% Sales/marketing 12% 14% 13% 15% 6% Clerical/support 4% 7% 8% 2% 13% Prod/construction 3% 5% 4% 2% 9% CSR/Call center 3% 3% - 2% 8% Services/repair 2% 4% 3% 1% 9%


While differences between telecommuters and non-telecommuters in terms of city of residence or work location are slight, there were a few notable differences. The highest proportion of telecommuting employees lives in Phoenix (24%), Mesa (14%), Scottsdale (11%), or Tempe (8%). The highest proportion of telecommuting employees works in Phoenix (42%), Tempe (14%), Scottsdale (13%), or Chandler (11%).

Table 7: City of Residence and Work

2007 Breakdown Responses

2007 Total

Sample (n=502)

2005 Total

Sample (n=504)

Current TC

(n=123)

Non- TC

(n=379) City of Residence

Phoenix 31% 35% 24% 33% Mesa 15% 14% 14% 14% Tempe 8% 5% 8% 8% Chandler 7% 10% 7% 7% Glendale 7% 6% 6% 8% Scottsdale 5% 7% 11% 3% Gilbert 5% 5% 5% 6% Peoria 4% 5% 5% 4% Surprise 4% 2% 2% 4% Avondale 2% - - 2% Coolidge 1% - 4% - Queen Creek 1% - 4% - Cave Creek 1% - 2% 1% Buckeye 1% - 2% 1% Other* 9% 10% 7% 10%

City of Work

Phoenix 39% 46% 42% 39% Scottsdale 15% 9% 13% 16% Tempe 14% 11% 14% 14% Mesa 7% 9% 5% 8% Chandler 6% 6% 11% 4% Glendale 4% 4% 3% 4% Buckeye 1% - 2% 1% Other* 14% 12% 11% 14%

*Other indicates 1% or less consensus


4. Length of Time Telecommuting The majority of those who telecommute have been doings so for more than three years (60%), a percentage which has steadily increased since 2002 (41%). Currently, almost half of those surveyed indicate they have been telecommuting for more than five years (45%). The average length of time employees have been telecommuting decreased slightly from 6.1 years in 2005 to 5.8 years in 2007. This may be due to the fact that this question was asked only of current telecommuters instead of both past and current telecommuters who were asked the question in previous studies. As seen in 2005, it appears there has been less turnover among telecommuters in recent years resulting in a significant increases in the number of employees who have telecommuted between one and three years, and those who have telecommuted for more than 10 years. However, the percentage of new telecommuters is not increasing and remains at the lower level reported in 2005 (11% report telecommuting for less than one year vs. 21% in 2002).

Table 8a: Length of Time Telecommuting

Responses

*2007 Current

TC (n=123)

2005 Current & Past TC (n=151)



NET <3 years 39% 29% 49% 51%

< 1 year 11% 10% 20% 21% 1 to 2 years 12% 8% 11% 15% 2 to 3 years 16% 11% 18% 15%

NET 3 years + 60% 57% 41% 43% 3 to 5 years 15% 16% 18% 17% 5 to 10 years 22% 25% 11% 12% 10 years + 23% 16% 12% 14% Avg. # of years 5.8 6.1 4.0 4.1

How long have you telecommuted? *Question was changed in 2007 so that it was only asked of “current” telecommuters rather than current and past.

Table 8b shows that, as might be expected, older telecommuters have been taking advantage of this alternative work option longer than younger telecommuters (6.1 years vs. 5 years), while employees of smaller organizations are more likely to report more longevity as telecommuters than those employed by organizations with more than 50 employees (6.3 years vs. 5.5 years).


Table 8b: Length of Time Telecommuting

2007 Breakdown Age Company Size

Responses *2007 Current

TC (n=123)

2005 Current/ Past TC (n=151)

<40 (n=49)

40+ (n=69)

<50 (n=39)

50+ (n=84)

Net <3 years 39% 29% 39% 39% 39% 39% <1 year 11% 10% 11% 8% 10% 11% 1 to 2 years 12% 8% 17% 10% 9% 14% 2 to 3 years 16% 11% 11% 21% 20% 14%

NET 3 years + 60% 57% 58% 61% 61% 59% 3 to 5 years 15% 16% 18% 12% 10% 17% 5 to 10 years 22% 25% 24% 23% 24% 21% 10 years + 23% 16% 16% 26% 27% 21%

Avg. # of years 5.8 6.1 5.0 6.1 6.3 5.5

How long have you telecommuted? *Question was changed in 2007 so that it was only asked of “current” telecommuters rather than current and past.


5. Frequency of Telecommuting While the proportion of the employed population reporting to telecommute has remained consistent since 2005, it is clear that telecommuting habits are changing. Four out of five current telecommuters (76%) indicate they regularly telecommute (i.e., at least once per month); slightly lower than the 80% that reported regular telecommuting in 2005. In contrast, those who report telecommuting on an occasional basis (i.e., project by project or less than once a month) has increased from 12% in 2005 to 21% currently. As shown in Table 9 below, if these percentages are translated to the total population of employed residents in the Valley, it means that 18% currently telecommute regularly and 6% telecommute occasionally.

Table 9: Frequency of Telecommuting

2007 % of Total

(n=502)

2005 % of Total

(n=504)

2002 % of Total

(n=500)

2000 % of Total

(n=674) Occasional TC 6% 3% 2% 3%

Project by project 3% 1% 1% 2% <1x per month 3% 2% 1% 1%

Regularly TC 18% 21% 13% 9% 1-3 x per month 8% 5% 4% 3% 1-3 x per week 6% 9% 5% 3% 4+ per week 4% 7% 4% 3%

Don’t know/Other - 2% - - Net Total TC 24% 25% 15% 12%

How frequently do you telecommute? *This percentage excludes past telecommuters.


B. Potential Telecommuter Profile 1. Definition and Current Percentage in Population Two groups of telecommuters have been identified: “True” potential telecommuters: Realistically these are the employees who either are

telecommuting currently or should be telecommuting now because there does not appear to be any obstacles.

“Good” potential telecommuters: This definition includes all of the “true” potentials plus employees who would like to telecommute and have suitable jobs, but their employer may or may not allow.

The definition of “true potential telecommuters” used for discussion purposes in this report is as follows: employed residents who are currently telecommuting or those who would like to telecommute and have jobs suitable for telecommuting and also feel their employers would allow them to telecommute. Using this definition, approximately 31% of the workforce qualifies as a “true” potential telecommuter,” nearly identical to the 30% found in the 2005 study. This percentage increases to two in five (41%) qualifying as “good” potential telecommuters; closely mirroring the results from 2005.

Potential to Telecommute

Definitions:True = Current telecommuters and those who want to, have suitable jobs and employers would allow it.Good = Current telecommuters and those who want to and have suitable jobs.

24%

31%

41%

24%

30%

39%

15%

26%

33%

12%

24%

33%

Current TC

True Potential

Good Potential

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

2007200520022000


2. Demographic Characteristics

The “true potential” for telecommuting is highest among men (64% vs. 36% for women). On average, these employees have higher annual household incomes than employed residents overall ($88,200 vs. $70,500), are more likely to have graduated from college (74% vs. 57%), and are most likely to be in professional/technical (41%), management/administrative (33%), or sales/marketing (15%) positions within their organizations.

Table10: Potential Telecommuter Characteristics

Characteristic

2007 Total

Sample (n=502)

“True” Potential

TC (n=157)

Characteristic

2007 Total

Sample (n=502)

“True” Potential

TC (n=157)

Gender Income Male 55% 64% Under $15,000 4% 1% Female 45% 36% $15K to $34,999 11% 2%

$35K to $54,999 17% 9% Age $55K to $74,999 17% 16%

Under 25 10% 6% $75K to $94,999 13% 13% 25 to 34 18% 18% $95,000 or more 26% 45% 35 to 44 30% 32% Average $70,500 $88,200 45 to 54 24% 26% 55 to 64 12% 10% Work size 65+ 2% 3% <50 employees 26% 26% Average 42.0 yrs. 42.8 yrs. >50 employees 73% 74%

Education Occupation

<High school 2% - Prof/technical 37% 41% HS grad 11% 5% Mgmt/admin. 23% 33% Some college 29% 20% Clerical/support 10% 4% College grad 31% 35% Sales/marketing 8% 15% Some post grad. 5% 7% Prod/construction 7% 2% Graduate degree 21% 32% Services/repair 7% 1% CSR/call center 6% 2%

Employment Status

Full-time 91% 94% Part-time 9% 6%


III. Attitudes of Employees toward Telecommuting A. General Awareness of Telecommuting Awareness of the concept of telecommuting continues to increase. In 2007, almost nine out of ten Valley employees (88%) report that they have heard of telecommuting prior to taking the survey; this is up seven points from 2005 (81%). Not surprisingly, awareness of the term telecommuting is highest among the population subgroups most likely to telecommute: older employees (91%), those with a college degree (94%), and those with a household income of $55,000 or more (93%).

Aware of Telecommuting

2007 n=502; 2005 n=504; 2002 n=500

88%

12%

81%

19%

77%

23%

Yes, heard of it

Not heard of

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

200720052002

Have you ever heard of telecommuting?

Unchanged from 2005, the majority of those aware of the term “telecommuting” correctly defined the term as “working at home instead of commuting to and from work” (78%). Several employees indicated it meant simply conducting work over the phone or Internet (6%). A few others believe the term is a more generic term referring to the use of alternate modes in general (carpooling, 4%; taking the bus 1%; using different modes 1%).


B. Heard of “Telework” One in ten respondents has heard the word “telework” used instead of the term telecommuting; a finding that has remained consistent for the last five years. Current telecommuters are most likely to be familiar with the term “telework” (14% vs. 8% of non-telecommuters), as are those who have at least some college education (10% vs. 2% for those with a high school degree or less).

Heard of Telework instead of TelecommutingHave you ever heard the work "telework" used instead of the term telecommuting?

2007 n=451 (among those aware of telecommuting) ; 2005 n=410; 2002 n=500

10%

89%

1%

12%

87%

1%

11%

88%

1%

Yes No Don't know0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%200720052002


C. Employer Allows Telecommuting Roughly one in four (26%) employees who do not currently telecommute indicated that their employers did allow telecommuting at the time of the interview. Male employees were more likely than females to report that their current employer allows workers to telecommute (34% vs. 18% for females), as do employees who have an annual household income of more than $55,000 per year (34% vs. 17%). D. General Interest in Telecommuting The interest in telecommuting among those not currently telecommuting increased slightly in 2007 (46% compared to 41% for previous two survey years). Interest in telecommuting is highest among former telecommuters (55% vs. 46% of those who have never telecommuted). Interest is also comparatively higher among employees who have at least some college education (51% vs. 20% of those with less education) and employees who have an annual household income of at least $55,000 per year (53% vs. 40% for those with lower incomes).

Interest in TelecommutingWould you like to telecommute now? (Among non-telecommuters)

2007 n=379; 2005 n=382; 2002 n=425

46%

50%

4%

41%

56%

3%

41%

55%

4%

45%

55%

60%

40%

Yes

No

Don't know

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70%2007 2005 2002 2000 1999


E. Reasons for Not Telecommuting among those who have Never Telecommuted Non-telecommuting employees who currently work for a company that allows telecommuting primarily indicate that the characteristics of their current position make their job unsuitable for telecommuting (mentioned by 45%). In addition, some indicated that their home environments were not ideal – do not have necessary equipment (13%), do not have resources to be at another location (9%), not enough space at home (4%), costs too much (2%).

Table 11: Reasons for Not Telecommuting – Total Mentions (Among those who have never telecommuted, but would like to and current employer allows)

Responses

2007 (n=34)

2005 (n=30)

2002 (n=142)

2000 (n=221)

1999 (n=122)

Job not suitable 45% 65% 55% 53% 42% Do not have necessary equipment at

home 13% 9% 6% 9% 1%

Employer/supervisor won’t allow 12% 16% 33% 32% 30% Do not have resources to work at

another location 9% - 6% 4% 2%

Not enough space at home 4% - - - - I live close to work 4% - - - - Concerned about lack of interaction

with co-workers/supervisors 2% - 3% - -

It costs me too much 2% - - - - Fear lack of presence on site will

jeopardize chance for promotion 2% - - - -

Other 8% 4% 4% 2% 7% Don’t know 4% 14% 4% 3% 8%

Would you like to telecommute now? If yes, why aren’t you telecommuting now? F. Reasons for Not Telecommuting Among Past Telecommuters The 27 former telecommuters whose current employer does allow telecommuting (or 5% of total employed residents) were asked specifically why they are not currently telecommuting. Almost two out of three (mentioned by 65%) former telecommuters report that the main reason they are not currently telecommuting is because their job is not suitable. While the finding is consistent with past years, it is significantly higher this year (65% compared to 28% in 2005). The second obstacle to telecommuting among former telecommuters is personal in nature. Many former telecommuters reported that they do not feel they are structured enough to work efficiently work at home (12%), they like working in the office (5%), and there are too many distractions at home (5%).


It should be noted that not having the necessary equipment at home to telecommute has ceased to be an influential reason for not telecommuting in 2007 (no mentions compared to 17% in 2005). Unlike findings prior to 2005, mentions of the reason of “employer won’t allow” were eliminated because only former telecommuters who work for an employer that currently allows telecommuting were asked this question.

Table 12: Reasons for not Telecommuting – Total Mentions (Among Former Telecommuters Whose Employers Allow Telecommuting)

Reasons

2007* (n=27)

2005* (n=29)

2002 (n=63)

2000 (n=52)

1999 (n=26)

Job not suitable 65% 28% 38% 36% 46% I am not structured enough 12% - - - - Do not have all of the resources to

work at another location 5% 3% 6% 8% 4%

I live close to work 5% - - - - Like working in office 5% 6% 2% 3% 4% Too many distractions at home 5% - - - - Concerned about communication/

interaction with co-workers 5% - - - -

Concerned about communication/ interaction with supervisor

3% - - - -

Costs me too much 3% - 3% - - Do not have necessary equipment - 17% 10% 2% 4% Employer won’t allow - 3% 21% 40% 31% Other 7% 14% 6% 5% 4% Don’t know 5% 33% 16% 8% 4%

Why aren’t you telecommuting now? (Total mentions among those who have telecommuted in the past but do not currently telecommute)?

*Screening change. This question was only asked of former telecommuters whose current employer allows telecommuting.


G. Effect of Gas Prices on Interest in Telecommuting More than half of employees surveyed believe that increased gas prices have generated an increased interest in telecommuting among the employees at their company (53%). This is a significant increase from 2005 where 44% made the same inference. Employees who currently telecommute were most likely to feel this way (67% vs. 49% for non-telecommuters), as were employees who have some college education (57% vs. 38%) and those who are employed at larger organizations (57% vs. 45%).

Effect of Gas Prices on Interest in Telecommuting

With the increase in gas prices over the past year, do you feel employees at your company are more interested telecommuting, less interested, or have the same amount of interest in telecommuting as they did a year ago?

2007 n=502; 2005 n=504

53%

39%

5%

3%

44%

40%

6%

10%

More

Same

Less

Don't know

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60%

20072005


H. Believe Job is Suitable for Telecommuting Non-telecommuters were asked if they believe the nature of their current job would allow them to telecommute on at least an occasional basis. The results show that approximately one in three non-telecommuters (36%) believe the nature of their job would allow them to occasionally telecommute; one in five (21%) believe they could telecommute part-time; and one in ten (10%) believe they should be able to telecommute full time.

Believe Nature of Job Allows Telecommuting(Among non-telecommuters)

2007 n=379 ; 2005 n=382; 2002 n=425

36%

21%

10%

32%

24%

10%

31%

20%

10%

34%

26%

8%

Occasionalbasis

Part time

Full time

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50%

2007200520022000

Those more likely to think their job is suitable for telecommuting on an occasional basis include: Males (43% vs. 28% females) Former telecommuters (60% vs. 31% of those who have never telecommuted) College graduates (44% vs. 23% of those who have only some college education) Those with an annual household income of $55,000 or more (44% vs. 26% for those who

make less. Those more likely to think their job is suitable for telecommuting on a regular, part-time basis include: Males (24% vs. 16% females) Former telecommuters (42% vs. 16% of those who have never telecommuted) College graduates (26% compared to 15% for those with less education) Those with household incomes of $55,000 or higher (24% vs. 15% of those with lower

incomes)


Those more likely to think their job is suitable for telecommuting on a regular, full-time basis include: Males (13% vs. 7% females) Former telecommuters (24% vs. 8% of those who have never telecommuted) College graduates (14% vs. 4% for those who have only a high school diploma or less) I. Believe Supervisor would Allow Telecommuting

(Among non-telecommuters who believe their job is suitable) Those who felt the nature of their job would allow them to telecommute were asked if the believe their supervisor would allow them to telecommute. This is a change in wording from previous years when employees were asked about “management” versus “your supervisor.” Consequently data from 2005 and 2007 cannot be reliably compared to the historical data. Overall in 2007, fewer non-telecommuting employees who believe their job is suitable for telecommuting reported that they believe their supervisors are likely to consider telecommuting options. Just over one in four non-telecommuting employees indicated that they believe it is likely their supervisor would actually allow them to telecommute on an occasional basis (29%), this is down from 34% in 2005. This percentage decreases to 17% for those who believe their supervisor is likely to allow them to telecommute part time, and 8% who believe their supervisor would allow them to telecommute full-time. Males in particular are most likely to believe their supervisor would allow them to occasionally telecommute (20% gave a “5” rating vs. 7% of females).

Believe Supervisor Would Allow TelecommutingAmong non-telecommuters who feel their jobs are suitable on at least an occasional basis

(Percent giving a "4" or 5" rating with 5 = "very likely")

( 2007 n= 141; 2005 n=134)

29%

17%

8%

34%

20%

14%

Occasionalbasis

Part time

Full time

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

20072005


If these percentages are translated to reflect the overall employee population, we find that in addition to the 24% of employees currently telecommuting another 8% of all employees feel their jobs are suitable and their supervisor would allow them to occasionally telecommute (compared to 9% in 2005); 4% believe they should be able to telecommute on a regular, part-time basis (compared to 5% in 2005), and 2% believe they should be able to telecommute full-time (compared to 4% in 2005). This indicates a good market for telecommuting among non-telecommuters continues to be available. The 33 employees who indicated would like to telecommute and believe their supervisor would allow them to telecommute on at least an occasional basis were asked if they had ever discussed telecommuting with their supervisor. As in 2005, just over half of the 38 employees indicated they had discussed telecommuting with their supervisor (52%). For those who had discussed telecommuting with their supervisor (n=17), most indicated their supervisor would not allow them to telecommute because their job is not suitable (n=5). Other reasons provided were not having the necessary equipment at home (n=2), supervisors not being able to track what they are doing (n=2), not having enough space at home (n=1), or not having the resources to work at another location (n=1). For employees who said they had not approached their supervisor about telecommuting (n=16), most indicated it was because their job is not suitable (n=4), it was a new job (n=3), management would not allow it due to corporate policy (n=3), or they were not set up at home to telecommute (n=1).


J. Importance of Telecommuting as a Job Benefit The opportunity to telecommute as a job benefit is moderately important to the Valley employed population as a whole (average rating of 2.9 on a five point scale where “1” means not at all important and “5” means extremely important). These average ratings have not shifted significantly over the past eight years, however, the percentage of employed residents giving a “5” or “4” rating decreased seven points compared to 2005 (33% vs. 40%). Not surprisingly, the ability to telecommute is significantly more important to current telecommuters than it is to employees who do not telecommute (46% give a 4 or 5 rating vs. 28%). It is also more important to older workers than younger employees (23% indicate it is “very” important compared 15% of those under age 40), employees of smaller organizations (26% rating it a “5” compared to 17% of larger organizations), and employees who have an annual income of more than $55,000 per year (21% vs. 13% for those who make less).

Table 13: Importance of Telecommuting to Job Seekers

2007 Breakdown Rating

2007

(n=502)

2005

(n=504)

2002

(n=500)

2000

(n=674)

1999

(n=400) Current (n=123)

Non TC (n=379)

1- Not

important 24% 24% 28% 23% 24% 8% 30%

2 10% 10% 10% 9% 10% 11% 10% 3 32% 22% 26% 23% 25% 34% 31% 4 14% 16% 12% 16% 16% 19% 12% 5 - Very

important 19% 24% 21% 24% 22% 27% 16%

4 + 5 Rating 33% 40% 33% 40% 38% 46% 28% Don’t know 1% 5% 3% 4% 3% 1% 1% Average 2.9 3.0 2.9 3.1 3.0 3.5 2.6

How important would the option of telecommuting be to you if you were seeking a new position?


K. Important Reasons to Telecommute All respondents were asked to rate the importance of seven perceived advantages for telecommuting. Overall, all seven of the benefits rated were given a “4” or “5” rating by at least half of the employees. The three advantages receiving the highest ratings from employees are “to avoid commuting or dealing with traffic” (73% gave a 4 or 5 rating), “help the environment and reduce pollution” (70%), and to save money (67%). All ratings were essentially the same as in 2005 with the exception of “helping the environment and reduce pollution,” which experienced a significant increase this year (70% providing a 4 or 5 rating compared to 60% in previous years).

Importance of Telecommuting AdvantagesSummary of 5 + 4 Ratings, where "5" means "extremely important"

2007 n=502; 2005 n=504; 2002 n=500;

73%

70%

67%

65%

60%

58%

48%

74%

60%

64%

66%

56%

55%

53%

56%

60%

0%

65%

62%

56%

51%

Avoid commuting/traffic

Help environment/reduce pollution

To save money

Increase scheduling flexibility

More personal time

Reduce stress

Get more work done

0% 20% 40% 60% 80% 100%

200720052002


The differences in importance ratings between current telecommuters and non-telecommuters are significant. Whereas telecommuters are more likely to assign the highest importance ratings for avoiding the commute (73%), increased schedule flexibility (73%), and helping the environment and reduce pollution (62%), non-telecommuters are more likely to assign high importance to helping the environment (73%), avoiding the commute (72%), saving money (71%), and increased flexibility (63%). Less than half of the non-telecommuters believe that the ability to get more work done is an important advantage of telecommuting (44% give a 4 or 5 rating).

Table 14: Importance of Telecommuting Advantages

Summary of 5+4 ratings, where “5” is “extremely important”

2007 Breakdown Advantage

2007 (n=502)

2005 (n=504)

2002 (n=500)

2000 (n=674)

1999 (n=400)

Current TC

(n=123)

Non-TC (n=379)

Avoid commuting/

dealing with traffic*

73%

74%

56%

59%

N/A

73%

72%

Help the environment/ reduce pollution

70% 60% 60% 68% N/A 62% 73%

Save money 67% 64% N/A N/A N/A 56% 71%

Increase schedule flexibility

65% 66% 65% 66% 69% 73% 63%

More personal time 60% 56% 62% 63% 61% 58% 61%

Reduce stress 58% 55% 56% 47% 58% 58% 57%

Get more work done 48% 53% 51% 48% 53% 58% 44%

Of the following advantages to telecommuting, rank the importance of each on a scale of 1 to 5 where 1 means it is not important and 5 means it is extremely important as a reason why you would want to telecommute. *2002 wording: “Reduce stress related to traffic and commuting” Females were significantly more likely than males to perceive some attributes as “extremely important,” specifically helping the environment (60% vs. 45%), increasing schedule flexibility (57% vs. 42%), saving money (56% vs. 46%), reducing stress (45% vs. 35%), and getting more work done (38%vs. 26%).


L. Important Issues Affecting Telecommuting When presented with a list of four possible issues that could affect their ability to telecommute, employees are most likely to report that having the right equipment at home would positively impact their ability to telecommute (63%), followed by having a suitable home environment or access to work files and email at home (59% for both). Roughly one in three indicated that a solution that addresses their ability to interact with co-workers would help (36%). Unsurprisingly, across the board, current telecommuters were more likely than non-telecommuters to indicate that they these measures would positively affect their ability to telecommute.

Issues Affecting TelecommutingThose indicating they were “more likely” to telecommute if the following conditions were met

2007 Total n= 502; Current TC n=123; No TC n=3379

63%59% 59%

36%

75%72%

69%

47%

59%55% 57%

33%

Having right equipment at home

Suitable home environment Access to work email & files at home

Ability to interact with co-workers

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

100%TotalCurrent TCNo TC


Table 15: Important Issues Affecting Telecommuting

Current Telecommuters (n=123)

Non Telecommuters (n=379)

More Likely

Less Likely

No Impact

DK

More Likely

Less Likely

No Impact

DK

Right equipment at

home

75%

2%

22%

1%

59% 11%

28%

2%

Access to work e-mail and work files from home

69%

3%

27%

1%

57%

33%

9%

1%

Suitable home environment

72%

2%

26%

-

55%

10%

34%

1%

Ability to communicate or interact with co-workers

46%

16%

38%

-

33%

28%

37%

2%

Please indicate for each one if you would be more likely to telecommute, less likely, or it would not have an impact on your ability to telecommute… *In 2007 the question was changed from a 1-5 point rating scale to the current more/less likely ranking.

Those most likely to report that having the right equipment at home would make them more likely to communicate were females (70% vs. 57% males) and employees who have a college degree (70% vs. 55% with less education). This was also true among these same groups for having access to work files and email (69% female vs. 51% male and 67% graduates vs. 51% with less education).

Employees with an annual income of at least $55,000 were most likely to say that a solution addressing communication and interaction with co-workers would make them more likely to telecommute (41% vs. 28 for those who make less).


M. Interest in Receiving Telecommuting Information As in previous years, approximately one in four non-telecommuters expressed at least some interest in receiving information that would help them discuss the advantages of telecommuting with their employer (7% very interested; 17% somewhat interested). Employees who have telecommuted at some point in the past were significantly more likely than those who have never telecommuted to say they were “very interested” in receiving information (17% vs. 5%).

Interest in Information on TelecommutingHow interested would you be in receiving or having access to information to help

you discuss the advantages of telecommuting with your employer? *

2007 n=379; Among non-telecommuters*2002 specifically referenced "on the web”

7%

17%

12%

63%

2%

7%

13%

11%

64%

6%

6%

13%

21%

55%

5%

Very Interested

Somewhat Interested

Not very Interested

Not at all Interested

Don't know

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

200720052002


IV. Perspectives of the Telecommuter Please note: When viewing the following results, it is important to keep in mind the relatively small sample size for current telecommuters (n=123). The margin of error for current telecommuters is +9.0% at the 95% level of confidence. Statistically significant differences are stated as such in the text. Also, in 2007 the questions in this section were only asked of current telecommuters, whereas they had been asked of both current and former telecommuters in previous studies. A. Desire to Continue Telecommuting Nearly all current telecommuters would like to continue telecommuting (96%), up from 88% in 2005. This sentiment is particularly strong among those with a household income of at least $55,000 per year (98% vs. 74% for those who make less). B. Type of Telecommuting Program More than one in four (27%) current telecommuters report that their company has a formal telecommuting program, up from 21% in 2005. Employees from larger organizations are significantly more likely than those from small organizations to indicate that their employer has a formal telecommuting program (35% vs. 11%). Interestingly, the overall ability of telecommuters to identify the type of telecommuting program increased in 2007 (i.e., “don’t know” response decreased from 16% to 3%). This could be due to the fact that the question was only asked of current telecommuters this year.

Type of Telecommuting Program(Among current telecommuters)

2007 n= 122; 2005 n=151(current and former telecommuters)

27%

70%

3%

21%

63%

16%

Formal

Informal

Don't know

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80%

20072005


C. Equipment Used While Telecommuting As in the past, a vast majority (99%; see Table 17) of telecommuters report that they use a personal computer while telecommuting and 93% use a printer. While there has been a decrease in the number of current telecommuters who report having an additional phone line (67% currently compared to 77% in 2005), this may be due in part to the popularity of high-speed Internet connections that do not require a phone line/ dial-up service. As such, high-speed Internet connections continue to gain ground with 90% reporting usage compared to 79% in 2005. Additionally, 73% of telecommuters report using a wi-fi router, again a significant increase from 2005 where only 55% reported using the technology. Employees with at least some college education are significantly more likely than others to report having a computer supplied to them through an employer (53% vs. 20% for those with only a high school diploma or less), as well as being most likely to say they provide their own high speed Internet connection (67% vs. 26%). The percentage of telecommuters reporting that their employer provides or subsidizes the equipment has increased slightly in 2007compared to 2005, but has still not returned to the levels seen prior to 2002. Employers are most likely to provide a personal computer for employee use (reported by 52% compared to 43% in 2005 and 52% in 2000) followed by a phone line (29% compared to 26% in 2005 and 51% in 2000), or high speed Internet connection (29% compared to 22% in 2005, and 49% in 2000).


Table 16: Source of Telecommuting Equipment (Asked of those who currently telecommute)

Responses

Personal Computer

Additional Phone Line

High Speed

Connection

Printer

WI-FI 2007 (Current TC, n=123) Equipment used 97% 69% 90% 93% 73% Employee Owned 48% 71% 72% 79% 83% Employer provides/subsidizes 52% 29% 29% 21% 17% 2005 (Current TC, n=122) Equipment used 91% 77% 79% 87% 55% Employee Owned 57% 73% 78% 84% 81% Employer provides/subsidizes 43% 26% 22% 15% 18% 2002 (Current TC, n=75) Equipment used 97% 81% 61% na na Employee Owned 48% 59% 47% na na Employer provides/subsidizes 52% 38% 51% na na 2000* (Current TC, n=75) Equipment used 90% 48% 33% na na Employee Owned 57% 46% 46% na na Employer provides/subsidizes 42% 51% 49% na na 1999* (Current TC, n= 35) Equipment used 91% 37% 37% na na Employee Owned 63% 77% 38% na na Employer provides/subsidizes 44% 23% 62% na na Which of those pieces of equipment are/were provided or subsidized by your employer and which do you own? *In 1999 and 2000 respondents were asked which pieces of equipment they used as a separate question from who provided it. In 2002, 2005, and 2007 it was asked as a single question and the response “don’t own or don’t use was volunteered”.


D. Telecommuting and Productivity More than three in five current telecommuters (64%) report that working away from the office has a positive influence on their ability to get their work done. Specifically, more than a quarter indicated a “significant increase” in their productivity because of their ability to telecommute (27%). Employees who have a household income of more than $55,000 per year were slightly more likely than those who make less to say their productivity had “significantly increased” due to telecommuting (31% vs. 12%). It should be noted that not a single current telecommuter surveyed in 2007 reported a decrease in productivity.

Table 17: Influence on Productivity (Among current telecommuters)

Responses

*2007

Current (n=123)




1999 Current

TC (n=35)

Net Increase 64% 66% 60% 70% 66% (23)

Significantly

increased 27% 39% 33% 42% 29% (10)

Slightly increased 37% 27% 27% 28% 37% (13) Remained the

same 33% 33% 31% 22% 29% (10)

Slightly decreased - 1% 8% 5% 3% (1) Significantly

decreased - 1% 1% 2% 3% (1)

How has telecommuting affected your overall productivity? Has your productivity… *Question was changed in 2007 so that it was only asked of “current” telecommuters rather than current and past.

E. Number of Telecommuters Compared to Last Year More than half of current telecommuters report that their company has more telecommuters than it did one year ago (53%). This is a significant increase from 2005 when only 32% of both current and former telecommuters reported an increase. As such, there was a corresponding decrease in the percent of telecommuters reporting fewer telecommuters at their company this year (8% down from 12%), or stating that the number had remained the same (30% compared to 38% reported in 2005).


Employees from larger organizations were significantly more likely than those from smaller organizations to indicate there has been an increase in telecommuters (61% vs. 35%), while employees from smaller organizations were more likely to indicate that the percent of telecommuters at their work place has remained the same (49% vs. 20%).

Increase or Decrease in TelecommutersTo the best of your knowledge, does your company have more telecommuters, the same

number or fewer telecommuters that it did one year ago?

2007 n=123 (Current telecommuters)2005 n=151 (Current or former telecommuter whose employer allows TC)2002 n=138 (Current or Former Telecommuters);

Increase or Decrease in Telecommuters

53%

30%

8%10%

32%

38%

12%

19%

26%

42%

17%15%

More Same Fewer Don't know0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%

60% 200720052002

The primary reason for the reported increase in telecommuters is company growth (mentioned by 16 of 65 current telecommuters, or 25%). However, an additional 11 telecommuters indicated that telecommuting has become more acceptable and eight indicated that the ability to easily access files from home has made the difference. Issues related to a lack of office space and the ability to be more productive at home were also factors (each mentioned by five respondents). For those who indicated that there are fewer telecommuters now than at this time last year, the primary reasons focused on having less people (mentioned by 6 out of 10 employees) or that there has been a management change (mentioned by 3 respondents).


Table 18: Reason for Change in Number of Telecommuters

Responses

*2007

Current (n=123)



More Telecommuters 53% 32% 26%

Reason More: (n=65) (n=48) (n=36) Company has grown 25% (16) 23% (11) 16% (6) It has become a trend/more accepted 18% (11) 16% (7) 11% (4) Availability of VPN/access work files 13% (8) 7% (3) - Not enough office space 8% (5) 4% (2) 3% (1) More productive at home 8% (5) - - Gas prices 6% (4) 7% (3) - Aware of environment/air quality 6% (4) - - Traffic 6% (4) - - Employees pushed for it 3% (2) 4% (2) - Flexibility for employees 3% (2) - - More comfortable for employees 3% (2) - - To increase production/get more done 2% (1) 12% (5) 6% (2) Travel time to the office/traffic 2% (1) 8% (4) - Other 12% (8) 21 % (10) 8% (3) Don’t know/no answer 2% (1) 7% (3) 22% (8)

Fewer Telecommuters 8% 12% 17%

Reason Fewer: (n=10) (n=18) (n=23) Lay offs/less people 64% (6) 10% (2) 30% (7) Change in management/policy 28% (3) 30% (5) - Other 21% (2) 27% (5) 9% (2) Don’t know/no answer - 33% (6) 9% (2)

Why do you think there are more telecommuters at your company compared to one year ago? Why do you think there are fewer telecommuters at your company compared to one year ago? *Question was changed in 2007 so that it was only asked of “current” telecommuters rather than current and past.


F. Likely to Seek New Position if Telecommuting No Longer Allowed The number of telecommuters who reported they would seek a new position if they were no longer allowed to telecommute continues to decline. In 2007, 40% of current telecommuters indicated they would be very (20%) or somewhat (20%) likely to seek a new position if they were unable to telecommute any more, this compares to 43% who were very/somewhat likely in 2005 and 48% very/somewhat likely reported in 2002. In contrast, more than one in three telecommuters indicate that they are not at all likely to look for another job in such a situation (37%).

Likely to Seek New Position if Telecommuting No Longer Allowed

If the option of telecommuting were taken away, how likely would you be to seek another position either within your company or at another company that would allow you to telecommute? Would you be...

2007 n=123; 2005 n=122; ;2002 n=75 (Among Current Telecommuters)

20% 20% 19%

37%

4%

27%

16%13%

35%

10%

28%

20%17%

29%

5%

Very Likely Somewhat Likely Not very Likely Not at all Likely Don't know0%

10%

20%

30%

40%

50%200720052002


G. Frequency of Driving Trips on Telecommute Days While most telecommuters do not make any driving trips during peak drive times on the days they work from home (33% rarely; 31% never). Although this is the same percentage as reported in 2005, there was a shift from “never” to “rarely” (“never” responses down four points and “rarely” responses up four points) and the percentage of telecommuters indicating they “always” make trips during peak hours when they telecommute increased from 13% to 18%. Females are most likely to report that they “never” drive during peak hours on telecommute days (43% vs. 24% of men).

Frequency of Driving on Telecommute Days

2007 n=123 (current telecommuters); 2005 n=151(current/former telecommuters)

18%

18%

33%

31%

0%

13%

16%

29%

35%

7%

Always

Occasionally

Rarely

Never

Don't know

0% 5% 10% 15% 20% 25% 30% 35% 40%

2007 2005


V. Attitudes of Employers Toward Telecommuting A. Management Support for Telecommuting Employees were asked to rate how supportive their senior management and supervisors are of telecommuting programs at their place of work. The question wording was changed in 2005 so that employees were asked about the support among “their supervisor” instead of the more generic “middle management.” The perceived level of support was rated on a five-point scale where a one indicates “not at all supportive” and a five means “very supportive.” In 2007, current telecommuters were slightly more likely than in 2005 to indicate a high level of support for telecommuting from the senior management at their company (61% gave a 4 or 5 rating compared to 54% in 2005). However, as in the past, telecommuters continue to report slightly higher support ratings from their supervisors than from senior management (69%; up from 63% in 2005 and 58% in 2002). There was virtually no change in the perceived level of support at their organizations for telecommuting by non-telecommuters. Only 16% of non-telecommuters reported support for telecommuting from senior management and 15% reported support from their supervisor.

Senior Management Support of TelecommutingAs rated on a five point scale where a one means "not at all supportive" and a five means "very supportive."

2007 n=123 for telecommuters; n=379 for non-telecommuters

61%

54%

61%

64%

16%

17%

18%

16%

Current Telecommuter - 2007

2005

2002

2000

Non-Telecommuters - 2007

2005

2002

2000

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

5 - Very supportive Rate 4


Superviser* Support of TelecommutingAs rated on a five point scale where a one means "not at all supportive" and a five means "very supportive."

*2000 and 2002 "Middle management" (2007 n=123 for telecommuters; n=379 for non-telecommuters)

69%

63%

58%

59%

15%

17%

17%

17%

Current Telecommuter - 2007

2005

2002

2000

Non-telecommuters - 2007

2005

2002

2000

0% 20% 40% 60% 80%

5 -Very supportive Rate 4


Table 19a: Support of Senior Management & Supervisor 2002-2007

Current Telecommuters Non Telecommuters*

2007 (n=123)

2005 (n=122)

2002 (n=75)

2007 (n=379)

2005 (n=382)

2002 (n=425)

Support by Sr. Mgmt. 1-Not supportive 9% 10% 7% 46% 44% 44% 2 10% 11% 9% 14% 12% 11% 3 14% 18% 20% 12% 8% 14% 4 20% 16% 13% 6% 5% 9% 5-Very Supportive 41% 38% 48% 10% 12% 9% 4+5 Combined 61% 54% 61% 16% 17% 18% Don’t know 6% 8% 5% 12 20% 12% Average 3.8 3.7 3.9 2.1 2.1 2.2

Support by Supervisor**

1-Not supportive 9% 9% 5% 48% 48% 44% 2 7% 8% 8% 12% 9% 10% 3 9% 12% 19% 15% 8% 14% 4 26% 17% 17% 7% 5% 10% 5-Very Supportive 43% 46% 41% 8% 12% 7% 4+5 Combined 69% 63% 58% 15% 17% 17% Don’t know 6% 9% 9% 10% 18% 16% Average 3.9 3.9 3.9 2.1 2.1 2.1

Using a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 means “not at all supportive” and 5 means “very supportive,” how would you rate the level of support the SENIOR management/YOUR SUPERVISOR at your company has for a telecommuting program? *Column includes former telecommuters and those who have never telecommuted. ** Wording change from 2002 from “Middle management” to “your supervisor” in 2005. Telecommuters most likely to indicate a strong level of support from the senior management at their company are those who have at least some college education (43% vs. 11% for those with a high school degree or less). Telecommuters most likely to report support from their supervisor are also more likely to have at least some college (46% vs. 11%) and to work for a large organization (49% vs. 21% for those working for a company with less than 50 employees).


Table 19b: Support of Senior & Middle Management 1999 and 2000

Telecommuters Non-Telecommuters* 2000

(n=81) 1999

(n=35) 2000

(n=591) 1999

(n=365) Support by Senior Mgmt.

1-Not supportive 2% 6% 42% 42% 2 6% 9% 12% 10% 3 20% 6% 16% 15% 4 28% 31% 6% 8% 5-Very Supportive 36% 37% 10% 10% 4+5 Combined 64% 68% 16% 18% Don’t know 8% 11% 14% 14% Average 4.0 4.0 2.2 2.2

Support by Middle Mgmt.

1-Not supportive 2% 3% 38% 38% 2 9% 9% 11% 11% 3 16% 3% 16% 18% 4 29% 31% 9% 7% 5-Very Supportive 30% 37% 8% 8% 4+5 Combined 59% 68% 17% 15% Don’t know 14% 17% 17% 18% Average 3.9 4.1 2.3 2.2

(n=81)

Using a scale from 1 to 5 where 1 means “not at all supportive” and 5 means “very supportive,” how would you rate the level of support the SENIOR / MIDDLE management at your company has for a telecommuting program? *Column includes former telecommuters and those who have never telecommuted.


B. Perceived Barriers to Telecommuting (Among those who rated senior management or their supervisor as giving low

support) 1. Non-telecommuters Non-telecommuters who feel management at their company is not supportive of telecommuting were most likely to rate the perceived absence of telecommutable tasks as a significant barrier for telecommuting (60% gave a 4 or 5 rating). However, more than two in five (42%?) non-telecommuters also believe that management is not supportive of telecommuting because of the perception that it is difficult to monitor the work done by the telecommuter (who gave a 4 or 5 rating). This is nearly identical to findings from 2005. In addition, 2007 found that the number of non-telecommuters indicating that “not trusting employees” is a barrier has continued to decline (26% compared to 30% in 2005, and 41% in 2002) as have issues related to budget and equipment constraints (31% down from 34% and 43%).

Barriers to Management SupportAmong Those Not Currently Telecommuting

whose management is at least "somewhat" supportive

2007 n=301

60%

42%

31%

29%

26%

21%

20%

58%

42%

34%

30%

30%

23%

24%

64%

0%

43%

0%

41%

21%

0%

Lack of telecommutable tasks

Difficult to monitor

Budget/equip. constraints

Lack of knowledge

Not trusting employees

Lack of employee interest

Management change

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

200720052002

Summary of 5 + 4 Ratings where "5" means a "significant barrier"


2. Current Telecommuters As shown below, current telecommuters who do not view management as supportive are most likely to rate “difficulty in monitoring performance” and “not trusting employees” as barriers to management support of a telecommuting program (29% for both attributes receiving 4 or 5 rating). There was a significant decrease in the number of telecommuters who cited a “lack of telecommutable tasks” as a barrier in 2007 (19% down from 44% reported in 2005), which is the top barrier perceived by those who do not currently telecommute.

Barriers to Management SupportAmong Current Telecommuters whose management is not least somewhat supportive

2007 n=45; *2002 "management resistance/trust issues"

29%

19%

29%

22%

17%

7%

12%

46%

44%

35%

24%

15%

8%

8%

0%

15%

53%

0%

33%

9%

0%

Difficult to monitor

Lack of telecommutable tasks

Not trusting employees*

Lack of knowledge

Budget/equip. constraints


Management change

0% 10% 20% 30% 40% 50% 60% 70% 80% 90% 100%

200720052002

Summary of 5 + 4 Ratings where "5" means a "significant barrier"


Table 20: Barriers to Management’s Support of Telecommuting (Summary of 4 + 5 Rating, where “5” means a “significant barrier”)

2007 2005 2002 2000

Non- TC

(n=301)

Current TC

(n=45)

Non- TC

(n=272)

Current TC

(n=50)

Non- TC

(n=320)

Current TC

(n=34)

Non- TC

(n=435)

Current TC

(n=31) Lack of TC tasks 61% 19% 58% 44% 64% 15% 52% 34%

Difficult to monitor performance

42% 28% 42% 46% - - - -

Budget or equipment constraints

31% 17% 34% 15% 43% 32% 39% 24%

Doesn’t know enough

29% 22% 30% 24% - - - -

Not trusting employees*

26% 28% 30% 35% 41% 53% 37% 37%


21% 7% 23% 8% 21% 9% 21% 19%

Change in management

20% 12% 24% 8% - - - -

To what extent do you think each of the following barriers prevent your management from being more supportive of telecommuting? (Among those who said senior or middle management was a “3” or less supportive of telecommuting.) *Previous wording: “Management resistance or management trust issues”

employee telecommuting study - valley metro...opportunity to telecommute as a job benefit decreased...

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