More and more companies are adopting flexible working practices such as job sharing, non-regular hours and compressed working days in order to improve their employees' health, morale and productivity. SeattlePI said flexible working practices such as telecommuting and working remotely online benefit can also improve job satisfaction, citing a survey by AT&T which found two-thirds of employees had turned down a job offer because their present role has flexible working arrangements. Depending how often they are in the office, employees can also cut some or all of their commuting costs by remote working - and according to a recent survey from Robert Half International, high gas prices are now affecting 44% of people's daily commute - up from 34% in 2006. Having fewer cars on the road is good news for the environment, the site said. Figures from the Telework Coalition cited by SeattlePI show around 18% of the US workforce - more than 26 million people - currently "telecommute" from home at least one day a week.  |