A survey of Canadian business owners finds that there is a significant difference of opinion on whether telecommuting supports employee morale and productivity.
The BMO Bank of Montreal poll finds that among businesses that offer telecommuting, 65% say it has a positive impact on employee productivity, and 58% say it improves the quality of their work.
Two-thirds of companies believe the ability to work outside of the office has a positive impact on morale and the ability to attract and retain talented employees. And 54% report a reduction in office and overhead expenses.
“However, the report indicates that Canadian businesses are hesitant to offer telecommuting, with 61% citing concerns about the possibility of lower morale and 53% troubled by the prospect of a loss of productivity,” says Steve Murphy, the bank’s senior vice-president, commercial banking.
Currently, 23% of companies offer telecommuting. Large businesses (47%) are twice as likely to offer telecommuting than small businesses (22%), while 8% of employees of all businesses work remotely.
On a regional basis, Alberta-based companies (34%) are the most likely to offer telecommuting, whereas companies based in the Atlantic provinces (16%) were the least likely.
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