Telecommuting Has a Nice Ring for Businesses

Short of the transporter in “Star Trek” most people need to drive, train, bike, walk or fly to work. Unless you are one of those who telecommute.

An increasing number of companies allow, and even encourage, their employees to work from either a satellite office or from home. And if a recent survey is correct, that number will rise in the next few years.

About 24 percent of telecommuters in the state live in Fairfield County, according to Telecommute Connecticut, which has operated as a commuter service of the Connecticut Department of Transportation. And 158,000 residents across the state work from home at least once a month.

“Every telecommuter makes a difference,” according to Telecommute Connecticut, which is currently in transition. It was formerly run by Rideworks in New Haven but will soon be administered by URS Corporation out of Rocky Hill.

According to the state DOT, about 60,000 cars can be eliminated from the state’s highways because of telecommuting.

 Among the most common professions to be able to telecommute include accountant, architects, economists, journalists, researchers, consultants and stockbrokers.

Across the state from Sikorsky Aircraft Corporation in Stratford to Gregory & Howe in Shelton and Cannondale Financial in Wilton to the Pension Service in North Haven, more businesses are offering telecommuting as an option.

“Our industry is conducive to telecommuting,” said John Reyes, president of Cannondale Financial, which handles loans and mortgages. “Our closing agents can go to a client’s house with a laptop. It eliminates paper and travel.”

One-third, or 33 percent, of chief financial officers surveyed across the country said remote work arrangements have increased in the past three years, according to Accountemps, a temporary accounting, finance and bookkeeping firm.

Telecommuting, an alternative to traditional transportation, can reduce highway congestion, reduce polluting emissions and save energy and gas, according to the survey.

The survey was based on telephone interviews with 1,400 CFOs nationwide.

“The prevalence of mobile technologies and wireless communication makes it easier for companies to support flexible work arrangements for their employees,” said Max Messmer, chairman of Accountemps. “Although not all positions are suited to remote work arrangements, for those that are, this option can help give professionals more control over their schedules and aid in recruitment and retention efforts.”

Of course some telecommuters miss the social interaction of the office, Reyes said. But it meets the needs of workers with long distance commutes, or those who may have young children coming home in the afternoon from school. 

“They appreciate the flexibility,” Reyes said.