Telecommuting is a tool that has been implemented these years most strongly in several companies and countries. Working from another place other than the office provides a series of benefits, both for the employer as for the employee, benefits that will be discussed in this article.

The world situation due to the emergency of COVID-19 has made companies adapt or at least try to adapt and implement telecommuting and keep operating.
Telecommuting is not a yesterday´s tool, it is today´s and tomorrow´s trend; so we write this article to indicate the benefits, measurement, requirements and recommendations about this matter.

Telecommuting Benefits for the Employer

According to our Human Resources Coordinator, Adriana Núñez Solano, some of the telecommuting benefits for the employer are:

• Higher motivation for the employees: by decreasing the travel time from its house to the office it avoids traffic and does not waste time in it.
• Increases the employees’ productivity: not having to travel or prepare meals, clothing and other things to take to the office, the employees can be perceived with more energy which is used in the performance of tasks.
• Reduction of service costs: payment of utilities.
• Fight the wear and tear of infrastructure: the office facilities usually have a minor wear when people work remotely for a certain period of time.
• Reduction of office, kitchen costs…: having less personnel in the office reduces the costs in the purchase of day to day supplies.
• Reduction of office rent: if the company requires to rent spaces for its employees for telecommuting, this rent can be reduced to 100%: or otherwise rent a smaller space in comparison with a traditional office.
• Reduction of administrative expenses: for example, the payment of cleaning services and security.

Telecommuting Benefits for the Employee

On the other hand, Adriana explains the employee´s benefits:

• Greater job performance: working from the quietness of the house, without distractions, noises and other office aspects, the employee’s performance usually is greater and the compliance of tasks is given in less time.
• Saving in certain expenses for the employee: for example, transportation (fuel, public transportation rates), and additional food.
• Improvement in the employees’ health: saving time to travel to the office; even taking these hours of travel, prepare meals, prepare clothes… to rest more and improve its physical and mental health.

Measurement of Telecommuting Productivity

Measuring results for each company is a matter that can result relative due to its nature and size. Our Human Resources’ Coordinator indicates the measurement of telecommuting productivity in Grupo STT:

• Compliance of monthly tasks by department and positions: it is achieved when the proposed goals are fulfilled both in functions as in time, for each department and respective position.
• Variable Salary: Grupo STT implements with its staff, an additional salary if the employees comply with their tasks, being in the office or telecommuting.
• Planning Now: is a new tool that Grupo STT uses with its staff, and is offered as a service to the companies, so that the headquarters can monitor daily activities carried out by the employees.

Requirements of a company to carry out telecommuting

Our Human Resources’ Coordinator mentions the main requirements that the companies shall comply with:

• Teleworkable Profiles: determine who has the skill conditions to telecommute and which are the positions that are required in the office.
• Contract and telecommuting policies: the employee shall comply with aspects as the internet speed that each company considers suitable to be able to work at home or remotely; compliance of the normal work schedule and suitable space, each employee shall have a space to be able to carry out its work under this modality, -a comfortable space and free of distractions-.
• Infrastructure and systems: assign to each employee the required equipment and/or technological infrastructure which is necessary for its work.
• Department of Workplace Health: there are companies that have these kinds of departments where they carry out specific visits of verification of points as space and comfort that guaranty correct telecommuting for the employee.

Recommendations for a correct telecommuting execution:

Adriana points out a series of recommendations so that the employees can carry out telecommuting in a successful way:

• Focus on daily tasks: take into account a daily focus, but monthly tasks are the main goal.
• Active break hours: times to breath and stretch limbs.
• Observe the meal times: have determined times for breakfast and lunch.
• Disconnection: for meal times as to end the day.
• Hydration: as in the office, drink water continually.
• Observe telecommuting space: have a specific space for telecommuting and one for meals and recreation.
• Headphones for calls: this helps to reduce the influence of noises on the part of third parties (relatives for example).

Grupo STT is prepared and can help your company

Due to COVID-19 emergency, Grupo STT has developed a telecommuting contract by pandemic, additional to the already existing contract, to ensure a better productivity both for the employee as for the employer.

At the same time, the company already has the telecommuting culture that can help other companies develop themselves through our Personnel Administration service (HRO).

We have Planning Now tools, with which you can record all the activities carried out by your employees, as well as tools and cutting-edge technology to guaranty strategies and optimal operations of your company.

We also offer our legal services (LSO) so that your company can elaborate contracts and specific policies for telecommuting, in case that it is required to implement it from the beginning or that it already has a pilot plan.

These and other consulting and outsourcing topics can be consulted in info@grupostt.com, where we can make a meeting and prepare a specific plan and quote for the company’s nature and needs.