An interesting fact to emerge from the "2008-2009 WorldatWork Salary Budget Survey," which quizzed more than 2,700 organizations representing 13.6 million North American employees, is that teleworking has soared in popularity the U.S. and Canada over the past 12 months.
In the U.S. the proportion of organizations saying they offer teleworking to employees has risen from 30 percent in 2007 to 42 percent in 2008. In Canada, the increase was even more significant, from 25 percent to 40 percent.
Of course, how many staff actually take up the opportunity to work remotely is a different question entirely, and one the survey doesn't address. More significantly, while high gas prices are clearly a major factor in the increase in remote working, will the economic downturn push people back into the office (for fear of the perceived damage working remotely might do to their careers) or make it an even more attractive option? Check back in 2009 to find out.