Has the time for telework come – and gone? By Adam Sorensen

Not so long ago, telework was touted as the wave of the future. Millions of workers would be freed from the confines of their offices and, thanks to technology, move into a new world of virtual work.

To a certain extent, this has happened. Millions of workers – myself included – now work full-time from home while millions more work at least some of the time from their home or another remote location. Companies of all shapes and sizes have adopted policies to promote flexible working as a means of improving employee satisfaction and performance and, hopefully, improving the bottom line. But has telework really achieved all that was promised?

WorldatWork recently completed an in-depth look at the state of telework in the U.S. The study found that the total number of teleworkers (those that work remotely at least one day a month) has fallen compared to 2008 from 33.7 million to 26.2 million. In an environment of high unemployment, a growing number of employees cite concerns about job security as the main barrier to flexible working.

Interestingly, even as the number of teleworkers has declined, the amount of telework has actually increased. 84% of teleworkers now work one day per week or more, up from 72% is 2008. A separate study of multinational companies found that 80% of companies have not made any changes to their flexible work policies in spite of the downturn. Of course, there is a vast difference between having a flexibility policy and creating a culture that supports flexible working.

What’s happening within your organisations? Is flexible work on the decline? Do you think we have reached a steady state where telework will remain relatively stable? Do you think that the government’s suggestion that employees work from home during the 2012 London Olympics will have any lasting impact on the attitudes about telework?