Corporations Are Letting Employees Work From Home, To Squeeze More Productivity Out Of Them

As corporations squeeze more productivity out of their workers, they are making some of that extra work look innocuous by letting their employees work from home more.

Workers are getting more flexibility from their employers, but that doesn't necessarily mean their lives are getting any easier.

Companies are letting their employees spend more time working from home -- in exchange for working longer hours, according to the 2012 National Study of Employers (h/t the Kansas City Star ).

The share of U.S. companies allowing employees to sometimes work from home has nearly doubled since 2005 to 63 percent of all employers, the study found. The percentage of companies that let employees periodically change the time they leave work also has increased 13 percent since 2005 to 77 percent.

At the same time, the percentage of companies letting their workers take significant time off has plunged. The share of companies allowing at least some employees to take a sabbatical has fallen 41 percent since 2005 to 29 percent, according to the study.

Companies have been squeezing more money out of fewer employees ever since the recession started. S&P 500 companies made an average $420,000 in revenue per employee last year, 11 percent more than in 2007, according to an analysis from the Wall Street Journal.

And with unemployment at elevated levels over the past few years, employees have been willing to work harder in order to keep their jobs. Worker productivity spiked 0.4 percent in 2011, 4.0 percent in 2010, and 2.3 percent in 2009, according to the Labor Department. Meanwhile, the ranks of the unemployed have risen 50 percent since 2002 to 12.64 million Americans, according to Labor Department data cited by the Business Journals.

Comments

[coloradoprof]

01:54 AM on 05/25/2012

Hi All. I am a former college professor and left the rat race 12 years ago to work from home. Working from home is not for everyone but if you are organized and like the solitude, its wonderful. Contrary to popular belief, there are thousands of legitimate work from home companies out there. However, one thing to keep in mind....NEVER PAY ANY FEES FOR A WORK FROM HOME JOB!

As you know, there are a ton of scams out there. Anything advertised as a "Business Opportunity" is just another word for scam or multi-level-marketing (where only about 1% earn any money).

If you are interested in working from home, James's site is good. In addition, I encourage you to check out my Legitimate Online Job Directory at www.LegitimateOnlineJobDirectory.com.

This is a scam / mlm free directory with only legitimate, free, work from home companies, many offering jobs with benefits. This directory also covers various micro-jobs where you can earn additional money performing small tasks usually paying around $10 an hour. .

My free directory also has a job search on there where you can look at the most up to date telecommuting jobs available.

One thing to keep in mind when looking for telecommuting work is to look at all the companies regardless of what their specialty is. For example, did you know Dell Computer Corp hires work from home medical billers and coders? Go figure.

I hope this gives you some great ideas!

[James Meyer 1]

07:30 AM on 05/04/2012

My list of Work from Home companies, now includes AMAZON. These are work at home JOBS. Not MLM, not network marketing, not copy and paste scams, not envelope stuffing, not party type companies where you beg your friends but actual employers.

http://doyahaveaminute.blogspot.com/p/at-home-jobs.html has the list including websites and contact details plus many more resources for the stay at home worker. I’ve spent years researching and putting this list together. Hope it helps.

http://doyahaveaminute.blogspot.com/p/at-home-jobs.html

[Scurvydog74]

08:00 PM on 05/02/2012

My employer actively discourages working from home but sends emails and directives around the clock and expects us to respond. I guess they want us to just not go home.

[Nina Anthony]

10:04 AM on 05/02/2012

I've been telecommuting for a nonprofit organization for 8 years and love it. Yes, I put in more hours than my colleagues who work at the office, but for me, the trade off is well worth it. I can see my family more, avoid taking sick days, (I haven't had a cold in years, and if I did, I wouldn't have to worry about staying at home to avoid infecting co-workers), throw in a load of laundry while I'm working and not miss a beat.

Personally, I don't miss the daily interaction with people or the office politics that comes with it. My car will last longer by not having to put all the back and forth miles on it, and I definitely save money by not having fill up my tank every week. Aside from reducing our dependence on oil, allowing more people to work from home would also help cut down on air pollution.

[Scurvydog74]

08:16 PM on 05/02/2012

I work for a corporation that trusts me about as far as they can track me with GPS and by monitoring how many times I log on and off my laptop and from where. They don't care if micromanaging stifles innovation and initiative, they just pile on 3 times what any human can do and hound me day and night with emails reminding me I should fear failure. Be afraid. Be VERY afraid...

[RemoveTheGreedyOnes]

07:26 AM on 05/02/2012

Mis-Information Campaign...

[moonlit]

11:23 PM on 05/01/2012

Working from home sux.

[randinoel]

10:44 PM on 05/01/2012

It can be so convenient and relaxing to be able to work from home and not deal with ppl and distractions. Working from home is still work. Their is still deadlines to meet and work to accomplish.

[gentlewomanfarmer]

08:23 PM on 05/01/2012

It's a buyer's (read employer's) market. Right now. In some markets it will change. It always does.

Of course, pitchforks and torches could change all kinds of things in a hurry. Hard to know.

[Patriot Games]

07:30 PM on 05/01/2012

I went from working 10 hours a day 5 days a week to 14 hours a day 6 days a week. If I didn't answer my cell phone, regardless of time of day or day of week I would end up on the carpet. When I complained I was completing 300 more transactions per year then my closest coworker working from the office I was told I was complaining to much. I received 10 awards for customer service while most of the others in the department received none. Work your fingers to the bone and what do you get? BONEY FINGERS!

[seereene1]

11:20 PM on 05/01/2012

Not to mention the isolation and lack of stimulation you get from having other people around you. I worked from home for more than 3 years. I thought I'd lose my mind. Drank so much coffee developed shingles and kidney stones. It definitely isn't as wonder as people imagine.

[echurley]

11:24 AM on 05/02/2012

Yu have a problem if you need others to stimulate you. I have worked from home for over 8 years. I am very productive. My employer is happy. My client is happy. I am internally driven to do the best job that I can. Telecommuting rocks.

[Scurvydog74]

07:57 PM on 05/02/2012

You also get tougher "stretch-goals."

[wsdave]

06:50 PM on 05/01/2012

My wife works from home 2 days a week and LOVES it. She's looking to make it 4 days.