1. Successful Teleworking for Employees
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2. These materials are copyrighted
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3. Did you know? Did you know? Did you know?
More than 197,000 employees (23% of the entire Central Texas region workforce) work within Austin’s Central Corridor
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4. Did you know? Did you know? Did you know?
Austin ranks 4th on the list of most congested metropolitan areas in the US (Source INRIX Traffic Scorecard Annual Report)
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5. Did you know? Did you know? Did you know?
6.4% of Austinites telecommute.
Austin has the 3rd largest population of telecommuters in the U.S.
Data provided by Austin Chamber of Commerce at the Chamber’s 2013 State of Transportation Summit
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6. Did you know? Did you know?
Regular telecommuting has increased by more than 73 percent in the United States since 2005.
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7. Did you know?
In a recent study by Stanford, telecommuting employees were 22 percent more productive than others. Why?
Speedier work
Fewer breaks
Fewer distractions,
Less stress, and
Reduced sick days
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8. Did you know?
Within the next 10 years, Generation Y will be almost ½ the workforce.
Millennials
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Millennial employees today were 50% more likely to leave their jobs because they do not believe it is a “sound place to work.”

9. Do you know why most organizations adopt telework?$$ $$ $$ $$
Now why else does telework make sense for a company? Real Estate Savings - Less money is spent on officing employees/contract workers when they can easily work from home. This frees up critical money for other investments to support organizational growth that otherwise would have been spent on providing additional square footage for office workspace. Companies pay $8,000-15,000 K per office per year. $$
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10. Over-investment in Real Estate
Most offices have a space utilization of 30-45% (Source: BOMA)
Over-investment in Real Estate
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11. Resources are getting more expensive (energy, water, materials)
The average office worker costs a company $5K - $20K EACH YEAR to office them.
Resources are getting more expensive (energy, water, materials)
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12. What is telework?
What is telework? The telework program is an agreement between the employee and his/her manager to work off-site from a home office one or more days a week.  Being a teleworker is voluntary. It’s a privilege and not guaranteed to all workers. Only personnel with strong performance history qualify.
We are different from other companies who telework, because we have a formal program in place. Other companies simply say ‘go work from home’ or simply ‘it’s an option if you want to.’ But studies have shown that the employees at companies with formal programs do better long term. This is because formal programs provides structure, tools, and resources designed to help you do well in work-from-home arrangements. You’re not going at it alone – you have the support of the company and upper management invested in your success.
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13. Who Wins? Copyright © 2015 The Thrival Company. All Rights Reserved.
One question that comes up often when discussing telework is, who does telework really help? Are telework programs to help the company’s bottom line? Does telework benefit the individuals participating in the program? When it comes to telework, who really walks away the winner? The answer: we all do.
To start…
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14. The Employee.
You win. There really are countless benefits to the employee who teleworks, both in terms of professional development and personal quality of life.
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15. Focused? Copyright © 2015 The Thrival Company. All Rights Reserved.
One of the biggest advantages of telework that teleworkers report is increased productivity.
People who work from home report they have:
Quieter environment
Less distractions
Less interruptions
Greater levels of focus and concentration
Increased productivity
Don’t like who you sit next to at the office? Now, in a telework arrangement, guess what?? You don’t have to!!
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16. VS Copyright © 2015 The Thrival Company. All Rights Reserved.
Another big benefit of telework for employees is that it’s easier maintain healthy lifestyles and supports a better QOL.
First of all, a huge factor affecting employee health is time spent commuting.
Driving has negative effects on both your physical and mental health.
The average person’s daily commute to and from work is 50 minutes.
Think about what you could be doing in that time INSTEAD of sitting in your car frustrated and stuck in rush hour traffic. Exercising? Spending time with your family? Reading a book? Cooking a healthy meal? The possibilities are limitless.
Plus – the obesity issue: Did you know every ½ hour in the car each day increases your odds of being obese by 3% (American Journal of Preventative Medicine)
Keeping a healthy diet certainly helped by the snack machine full of junk food down the hall at your office and how easily accessible it is. Instead, teleworkers can have fresh fruit, vegetables, and other healthy snacks just a short walk away in the refrigerator at your home office.
Studies have shown, employees who telework report better health, feelings of greater autonomy, and higher daily satisfaction.

17. Who Else Wins?
So there are pretty clear benefits to the individual when it comes to telework, but who else wins?
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18. The Company.
The company.
There are incredible gains to be made for companies who telework their employees.
Every year there is a 12-15% increase in companies offering telework programs to their employees.
A case study of AT&T in 2000 showed an increase from 15 to 20% in productivity for employees and contractors who worked remotely 2+ days per week and a 63% reduction in absenteeism of those same workers. More than 50% of their organization teleworks and 87% of managers work from home 6 or more days per month.
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19. Who teleworks? Qualcomm Nike Hewlett-Packard IBM Motorola Nortel
Oracle
Microsoft
AT&T
Thousands of companies across the world have telework or work from home programs. These companies are just a few of the many.
Devon Energy
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Cisco
Intel
Sun Microsystems
The Federal Gov’t

20. More productivity. Higher morale. Better customer service.
Why do companies support telework?
A lot of it ties back to the improved quality of life telework provides to the employee.
Better quality of life helps employees morale, leading to better customer service and increased productivity.
Companies recognize telework arrangements can have positive effects on the way they do business.
More
productivity.
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21. Employee Recruitment & Retention
33%
would quit for another job
that allows telework
Telework has also become a huge tool for employee recruitment and retention.
A survey of workers completed by the Canadian Telework Association reported 33% of respondents would quit a job for another job that allows telework and 43% would choose telework over a salary raise.
Particularly with younger generations, telework is important. As the workforce is becoming younger, companies are realizing they need to adjust to those needs in order to attract and retain the best and the brightest.
43%
would choose telework
over a salary raise
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Source: Canadian Telework Association 2008

22. DISASTER MANAGEMENT
Telework programs also put companies at an advantage when it comes to disaster management and emergency preparedness. Disasters such as fires, ice storms, flu season, power black-outs can prevent employees from physically coming into the office. Companies with telework workforces can quickly adapt and continue business operations with minimal disruption or negative impact to business.
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23. Copyright © 2015 The Thrival Company. All Rights Reserved.$$ $$ $$ $$
Now why else does Telework make sense for a company? Less money is spent on officing employees/contract workers when they can easily work from home. $$
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24. So… Lots of Winners But wait! There is one more…
So, there are a lot of winners. But wait! There is one more…
There is one more…
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25. The planet. Copyright © 2015 The Thrival Company. All Rights Reserved.
The planet. Telework means major environmental footprint reductions. Did you know every gallon of gas emits 20 pounds of CO2 (USEPA)? Telework takes drivers off the road, reduces traffic congestion, and lessens unhealthy pollutants released into the air.
Every year the company publishes a sustainability report and sets targets for reducing the company’s carbon footprint. As a Teleworker, you’re helping the company meet those goals.
And don’t forget – all that driving you’re not doing adds up to major savings in your pocket book, often thousands of dollars a year. It costs 0.55 cents per mile to drive your car, which includes gas, car payment, insurance, maintenance. (Source AAA.)
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26. Making It Work Success Strategies for TeleWork
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27. Is it a good fit?
First of all, do a self-assessment. Ask yourself, is it a good fit?
Am I comfortable working from home?
Is my home conducive to getting work done?
Will I have the resources I need to do my job?
Am I a strong communicator?
Do I have well laid out deliverables?
What is my relationship with my manager?
Our telework assessment tools can guide you through these questions and others to help you determine whether you’re a good fit for the program. Assessment tools are available for both managers and employees to evaluate the potential arrangement.
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28. SET CLEAR EXPECTATIONS ESTABLISH CLEAR PROCEDURES
Also, set clear expectations and establish clear procedures with your manager and your team to ensure the arrangement works.
Communication is essential. Communicate to your team:
Hours you are available by phone; by IM
How often you will check your
How quickly you will return a phone call or
How to get a hold of you in an emergency
How often you will give status updates on your projects
It’s incredibly important that you define these things in advance.
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29. Clear and measurable goals
In a telework arrangement, your work is judged based on quality & timeliness, not time spent working. Work with your manager and set clear and measurable goals for yourself, and you can use your performance metrics to help evaluate your performance.
Don’t go home until if you have wishy-washy goals. Only start teleworking if you have concrete, measurable performance goals or you’re setting yourself up for problems. Clear and measurable goals are especially important for you as a teleworker, because you aren’t around as much and you won’t be as visible. So these goals will be very helpful to you later on in demonstrating your success and strong performance.
At the end of the day, these are what you are judged on, and it is your responsibility to show you’ve hit your targets.
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30. GET FEEDBACK
Getting regular feedback is also important. Many times, managers won’t speak up about an issue until it a major problem. Do what you can to avoid this by asking for feedback along the way.
Check in with your manager and ask:
How am I doing?
Am I meeting my goals effectively?
Am I communicating enough? Too much?
Is communication working well for the team?
What am I doing right, and where do I need to improve?
As best practice, we recommend you check in once a week for the first month, after that check in twice a month, and by the third month, check in once. By then, you’ll both be familiar and comfortable with the arrangement and you’ve adjusted to make sure it works.
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31. perception isn’t fact but it is reality
Finally, remember, perception isn’t fact, but it is reality. Your job is to manage people’s perceptions of you. Communicate regularly, and leave no doubt you’re hard at work at home.
Err on the side of over communication. Conduct routine status updates, and mark ‘In’ or ‘Out’ on calendar to communicate to people you’re working and when you’re available.
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32. FACE TIME Copyright © 2015 The Thrival Company. All Rights Reserved.
Plus, don’t forget the importance of face time.
Relationships are largely built on interpersonal communications. Often this means communication having nothing to do with work. Make time to attend on-site meetings or other company events on a biweekly or monthly basis to catch up with your coworkers. Let people know you’re still a part of the team and want to connect with them as much as ever.
This is especially true if you’re working from home 3 or more days per week. Stay connected.
Schedule in-person one-on-one’s with your manager and teammates. It will help build and maintain trust with your colleagues and keep the lines of communication open.
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33. How to Avoid and Resolve Telework Challenges
Photo credit:
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34. Identify Potential Problems in Advance
When working with:
Potential problems could be:
I could avoid or overcome those problems by:
My Supervisor
My Teammates
Other Co-workers
Internal Customers
External Customers
There may be challenges to overcome. This will take a period of adjustment, but remember the 90 day rule and know there will be issues to work out initially just because this is a new arrangement. Lay out and discuss potential problems that could arise and the ways you can solve them and you’ll bypass potential problems.
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35. No matter how well you plan for telework and how much you and your manager want it to be a successful experience, there may be times when your performance does not meet expectations. But keep in mind, problems are not always related to your telework arrangement. Studies have shown if you’re good at your job at the office, you’ll be good at your job at home! Work together to resolve issues.
Performance issues?
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36. Expect a period of adjustment Open, honest discussion Get support
Revise if needed
If telework is not going smoothly, it will usually be a simple issue, one that can be easily resolved. Just remember to be open and honest with your manager, ask for feedback, and be willing to revise your telework arrangement if needed.
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37. What if I feel like I am meeting expectations but my manager does not agree?
Make sure that you are communicating your work results clearly based on your goals agreed to by your manager. You should be able to demonstrate clearly if you are or are not meeting your goals.
Employees should reiterate your commitment to working productively from home and ask the manager to work with you to uncover causes and to implement a solution (perhaps with some coaching, training, additional feedback, etc.)
If you are a contractor you should contact your agency employer to have them work with your contract manager on their concerns.
Recommend a shorter feedback timeframe with your manager or agency employer to verify if the issue is improving.
Should the problems continue, you need to be aware that your manager can suspend the telework arrangement.
Remember, the arrangement is a privilege, not a right, and can be called off at any time.
Photo credit:
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38. Will telework jeopardize my chances for advancement as an employee?
No, but be your own advocate. Don’t be afraid to toot your own horn. Tout your accomplishments. Did you get a positive review from a customer or get good team feedback about a project you delivered on? Pass that on to your manager. ‘Hey, look! I’m so happy to get this great feedback!’
And seek opportunities for advancement. Look out for projects coming up that you want to work on or openings you think you would do well in. Speak up and let you’re ready to step into a new role.
You can help yourself and your manager by maintaining a high level of communication.
Keep track of your accomplishments and review them with your manager during your performance appraisal.
Pass along positive feedback from customers.
Remember that it is your responsibility to keep track of opportunities for advancement and to make sure your manager knows of your interest in taking on more responsibility.
Photo Credit:
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39. Separating Work From Home
There are two parts to this question: the physical aspect and the emotional aspect.
Physically, you need to identify a space where you can have the equipment and the working environment you need.
You need to honestly assess your ability to focus on the work and to block out competing demands (e.g., family or roommates, the television, chores, etc.).
Many people are not sure whether they can block out distractions until they try it.
PHOTO CREDIT:
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40. A quick note about hotelling…
IF YOU ARE REQUIRING TELEWORKERS TO MOVE INTO HOTELING
ARRANGEMENTS, PLEASE ADD CONTENT HERE.
One thing that will go hand-in-hand with teleworking is hotelling or telework workspace: using temporary, unassigned workspaces when you are in the office.
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41. the hoteling community
First, remember, you’re a part of a community. You always need to be respectful of others, their belongings as well as the shared space.
Rule 1: No dogs and no barbed wire. The idea behind hotelling and telework workspace is that it’s flexible, unassigned. It is not productive to be territorial about a space.
Rule 2: Storage is temporary. Do not leave personal items.
The idea is you bring only what you need, and when you leave, you take it with you because there will be someone else using the space after you. If you need permanent storage for anything, talk to your area’s admin. There are filing cabinets and some other storage space that has been reserved for those needing permanent storage that needs to be accessible on a daily basis.
Rule 3: Keep it clean… No one wants to come in to the office to this…
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42. HOME SWEET HOME?
Keep your area clean! When you are hotelling, you will have equipment available for you to use while you’re in the workspace. You are also welcome to bring any personal items or materials you need to do your work, but you must remember to remove it all when you leave. ( And that certainly includes empty soda cans and paperwork! ) Someone will be using the desk after you and they too need a clean and cleared space to work.
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43. What is provided in your hotel space?
Insert here equipment provided.
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44. Joining Telework Program
The
Telework Program
Let’s get started.
Now, you’re ready to become a teleworker. Here are the steps to enroll…
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45. INSERT THE STEPS HERE TO JOIN YOUR PROGRAM
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46. In the Telework, Technology Rules!
VPN
Outlook
Instant Message
Phone Forwarding
Intranet
VOIP
Conference Lines
Virtual Meetings
Click HERE [insert your link] to learn more about IT tools for telework.
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47. Q&A
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48. UTOPIA cubical Join the [ORG] Telework Program. Contact XXX@XXX.COM
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Join the [ORG] Telework Program.
Contact

49. elizabeth@thrivalcompany.com, m. 512.656.7518, o. 512.481.2123
Elizabeth Frisch, CXO
m , o
Kate Krueger, Client Relations Manager m , o
This presentation was created by Kate Krueger and Elizabeth Frisch from The Thrival Company. If you use this presentation in your own company, we request for copyright reasons that you acknowledge the content was developed by our organization as follows: “Content of this presentation was adapted from sample training materials provided by: The Thrival Company.
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