Catherwood LibraryILR School

A recently released study by Britain?s Office for National Statistics found that in the past four years the number Britons working out of their homes increased by sixty-five percent to 2.2 million in 2001. Experts on working conditions and environments point to the increased popularity and use of e-mail, and workplaces where cubicles and open space replace individual offices, as major factors enabling telecommuting, and necessitating it for certain jobs, respectively. Although the report found that one in fourteen British workers telecommutes, and almost one in four could conceivably do so, organizational behavior and personnel experts point out that the necessity of human contact and face-to-face dealing often outweigh the efficiencies of avoiding long commutes