Teleworking - Benefits for Employers There can be many tangible benefits: Recruitment and retention: Being able to offer

flexibility can reduce avoidable staff turnover by over 20 per cent. With staff replacement costing 75 per cent or more of salary, this is a significant saving, even before training and retention costs are considered. Productivity: Managers have reported that their employees are between eight per cent and 40 per cent more productive. Teleworkers do moreand betterwork, in general Space saving: The amount of space your organisation saves will depend on many things and savings of up to 80 per cent have been reported. Even a ten per cent saving in space could be the difference between corporate profit and loss. Absenteeism: telework can reduce absenteeism by as much as 80 per cent. benefit. Staff morale: Improvements of 80 per cent have been reported across the whole company. Becoming 'Carbon Neutral': Controlling business emissions of harmful gases can have many benefits. These include showing environmental responsibility; creating marketing opportunities; adding value to products and services; addressing concerns expressed by customers; and responding to supply chain requirements. Reducing the emissions of a company's commuting employees is an important part of this. Service: Clients and customers report quicker response and better service from teleworkers. Saving money: The costs of heating, air-conditioning, car parks, lighting and more, will drop as more employees start teleworking. Other benefits:

Improved information access; Time savings; Improved communications; Increased sales; More face-to-face contact with clients; and Easier contact with employees.

More benefits:

With staff able to start their working day without first commuting to the office, clients and customers experience improved contact and response times leading to large improvements in client retention and value. With the spread of telework, new markets and services can be promoted. Enterprises can also take advantage of time zones and improve their service to overseas markets. With flexible work arrangements and locations, enterprises are able to react better to new environments, respond to changing staff requirements and support new tasks. With better response times, improved service, lower costs and happier, more motivated and productive staff (who have long experience with the organisation) organisations are more able to compete in rapidly changing markets. Such a competitive edge can be achieved through teleworking. An organisation that implements telework can claim great rewards in terms of corporate citizenship. The organisation can be seen to be helping to reduce traffic and energy consumption while demonstrating mastery of new technologies. It can become an employer of choice and a family-friendly employer.

Essential Bonds Ways to make work a kinder, gentler place: 1. Give a happy Hello! in the morning. Get into the habit of smiling and greeting your colleagues as you arrive in the morning or begin your shift. Its really amazing how fast this little courtesy can thaw chilly workplace relations. 2. Learn the art of small talk. Ask your co-workers about their interests their favourite music, movies, and books, as well as their hobbies. Showing a genuine interest in them will make them feel comfortable around you. Once you know what floats their boat, clip items from newspapers or magazines to help start conversations. 3. Join the office bowling or softball team. Many offices have them, and theyre a great way to get some exercise while you get to know your co-workers in an informal setting. 4. Accept good-natured teasing. Other workers sometimes play jokes and tease to test what kind of person you are. Let them know that you love a good joke even if its sometimes on you. Of course, if the teasing is personal, makes it difficult for you to do your job, or makes you feel uncomfortable because of its sexual implications, you may need to take up the matter with your supervisor. 5. Ask what they think. People love to be asked their opinion, so go out of your way to ask, Then give the advice giver a sincere thank-you, even if the ideas are less than helpful. 6. Sidestep the gossip. If you dont respond, the gossiper will move on and youll retain the trust and respect of your colleagues. 7. Compliments. By all means, compliment your co-workers on their achievements personal or professional. Too often, we focus on what people are doing wrong. 8. Return calls and e-mails promptly. To win friends at work, start with good office etiquette. Theres nothing more frustrating to busy co-workers than to have their emails and phone messages ignored. Your silence doesnt just make their jobs harder; it also conveys an unpleasant message: Youre unimportant to me. 10. Heres one for the boss: Always work at least as hard as anyone working with or for you. Make it clear that you would never ask anyone to do a level of work you wouldnt be willing to take on yourself. 11. Always be on time to show you respect other peoples time. 12. Express your good ideas in a way that makes it clear they are not the only good ideas, but that others may have equally good insights to add. 13. Talk about your life outside the office when its appropriate. This will remind the people you work with that youre a person first, not just an employee or employer. 14. Assume the positive about what you dont know. Assume that everyone else is working hard and doing their best, even if you dont know what their work is. You should believe both in the work youre doing and the organization youre doing it for. If you cant, perhaps its time to move on.