Forty-five million employed Americans work from home, according to the 2004 American Interactive Consumer Survey.

VIACK Corporation, an authority on secure, online communications and collaboration, has rolled out a "Guide to Teleworking" with helpful tips and tools for launching a successful remote work program.

"Despite the numerous benefits of teleworking, there are still valid concerns as to whether it can be truly effective and productive," said Amy Fadida, senior vice president of VIACK Corporation. "The new resource guide from VIACK provides the necessary information and answers to help alleviate these concerns."

Proponents of telework have long argued that allowing employees to work remotely can provide enormous benefits to businesses, employees and the community in general. According to Fadida, some of these benefits include:

• Reduced air pollution due to a decrease in highway congestion;


• Improvement in quality of life for employees who spend less time commuting;


• Savings of as much as $7,500 per employee per year due to a reduction in office space needs and other associated costs;


• Increased productivity by employees due to improvements in employee benefits; and


• Reduced absenteeism by employees as well as improved recruitment and retention of employees because of the flexibility to work at home.

To demonstrate the impact telework can have on a business, Fadida shares these additional statistics:

• AT&T realizes approximately $150 million in annual savings by teleworking; $100 million through direct employee productivity, $35 million through reduced real estate costs and $15 million through enhanced employee retention.


• American Express teleworkers produce 43 percent more business than office workers.


• IBM reduced real estate costs in the U.S. between 40 and 60 percent from an increase in remote workers.


• The U.S. Department of Treasury saved $100,000 per year in leased office space by allowing employees to telework on a regular basis.


• With more than 31,000 teleworking employees, the State of Arizona says its telework program has provided increased efficiency, greater productivity and enhanced employee morale for its government employees.

VIACK's "Guide to Teleworking" provides businesses with more insight as to the benefits associated with telework, along with tips for implementing telework best practices into daily business processes. The following is a sample of materials included in the guide:

• Security for Telework Technology -- Overview of the proper security practices for technology tools used for teleworking.


• How to Choose the Right Technology -- Basic questions to help guide management in selecting communications tools for teleworking.


• Helpful Tips on Teleworking -- A tip sheet to help management prepare a deployment strategy and develop a long-term program.