Do Telecommuters Work More?

Telecommuters — hourly or salaried employees who work from home at least part of the time — generally end up working more hours than employees who work strictly from a workplace location. A 2012 Ipsos/Reuters global poll found that reasons for telecommuters working overtime might include distractions causing tasks to take longer, managerial expectations of increased employee availability and employee fear of not being considered to be working hard enough. People who telecommute at least part of the time tend to do so for the flexibility of choosing their most productive hours, reducing their commute time and transportation costs as well as being available for care-giving responsibilities at home.

More about telecommuting:

• Telecommuting is the most widespread in Asia, the Middle East and Latin America and is the least common in Europe and North America.
• Industries that have the highest rates of telecommuters include technology, communications, sales and finance.
• Telecommuting is often used as an alternative to allow women in developed Islamic countries to work while still abiding by traditional rules about the separation of genders.