On Business Insanity Talk Radio today, we discussed how having small business employees work remotely has become an economic necessity during the Great Recession. For the employer, it cuts down on office, overhead costs, absenteeism and turnover (a savings of about $20,000 a year). For the employee, it reduces commuting time and expenses as well as improves work/life balance (a savings of $8,000 a year).

But there is an uneasy relationship between employer and employee involved in remote working relationships. Employers have a lack of trust that the employee is really working when they are “supposed to.” Employees are concerned that there are not formal policies in place for the company and complain about the blending of work and home life.

Microsoft recently did a survey of 3500 people and found:

62 percent of people surveyed believe they could fill their job duties at a remote location.
More than half (59 percent) of those surveyed say their company does not have a formal policy.
Only 15 percent say their company is supportive of remote working arrangements.

The research also found people are spending on average 7.3 days working remotely during weekends, and vacations, and in some of the oddest locations such as funerals, planes, bars, theaters and bathrooms.

I interviewed Margo Day, Vice President of Small and Midmarket Solutions at Microsoft, Chuck Wilsker, CEO of The Telework Coaltion, and Alexandra  Levit, WSJ journalist and author.

We discussed:
1. Technology tools available from Microsoft that give the small business accountability and a sense of place and presence.

2. Why you need to trust your employee no matter where they work from.

3. Why the solution to remote working is IT + P3 = E3.

4. How ROWE (Results Oriented Work Environment) accomplishes all of this.

5. How this affects the work-life balance.

Listen now!