NorthernTelework.ca

With gasoline prices expected to remain uncomfortably high, many small businesses are letting some of their staffers work at home. And some owners are discovering that allowing employees to telecommute can require a different management style and some basic trust.

Having telecommuters can be challenging for a boss who’s used to having everyone in the office in plain sight – and who now has much less control over someone who’s working in pyjamas with “The View” on TV in the background. Or a staffer who takes time away from work during the day to start cooking dinner or walk the dog.

TECHNOLOGY entrepreneurs across Manchester are teaming up through an idea to change the way the industry works.

Manchester Digital Development Agency (MDDA) has been trying out the latest business trend of `telecommuting’ – bringing together like- minded people to work alongside each other and share knowledge.

After testing the idea for 18 months, a group of young businessmen are now taking steps to create a permanent co-working space at Manchester Science Park, and they want to roll the scheme out city wide.

Swapping a business suit for pyjamas is likely to become a lot more common as internet connection speeds improve and properly productive telecommuting takes off.

Telework has grown faster than any other employee rewards program in Canada over the past 12 months, says a U.S. human resources association.

“Rising gas prices, leading-edge technology, and the push for work-life flexibility have all come together in the past 12 months to create a pretty dramatic increase in telework across the U.S. and Canada,” said Anne Ruddy, president of WorldatWork.