BusinessReport.com

Last summer, Cox Communications Technical Support Supervisor Lea Plummer had an idea: create an incentive for the cable provider’s technical staff to work from home.

Cox’s employees were growing at a rate faster than their physical space, says Plummer, and she knew other companies offered similar incentives. Furthermore, her staff worked behind computers and over phones, never face to face with customers.

Plummer speculated many employees would jump at the chance to lose the commute. She also figured they’d work hard to earn and maintain it.

She was right. Mimicking the national trend of businesses relaxing behind-the-desk requirements, Cox’s Greater Louisiana regional service center unveiled a pilot CyberAgent incentive program in May. Five employees currently participate, and numbers are expected to increase substantially. It’s the third such program for Cox nationwide.

“I thought it would be a great idea to work from the comfort of your own home,” Plummer says. “Cox is already a family-based company. It’s a win-win for everyone.”

Telecommuting has increased in popularity among national corporations in the last decade as workers ask their employers for more flexibility. It’s helped IBM, Apple, Arthur Andersen and others earn kudos and retain staff members. Some, like health care provider American Fidelity Assurance and Atlanta-based HomeBanc Mortgage, have allowed more than 30% of their staff to work offsite.

Critics of telecommuting are still certain this is one big boondoggle. In their nightmare, Doritos-munching employees are watching TV and chuckling over the boss’ gullibility.

But advocates say when companies show commitment to work-life balance, staff members produce good results and perform responsibly—particularly if it means holding onto perks. In the end, a company builds loyalty, enhances its family-friendly brand and experiences less turnover. Plus, technology makes it easy to monitor productivity.

Last year, Capital One Financial’s Virginia offices won an Alfred P. Sloan Award for Business Excellence in Workplace Flexibility from the Families and Work Institute for allowing 1,000 employees to choose where they wanted to work. Most opted for offsite, and worker satisfaction consequently increased from 57% to 80%. Using clever site planning, the company created low-cost, malleable work stations where telecommuters who happened to be onsite could boot up.

It was one way, but not the only way, to increase flexibility for employees. Other techniques included introducing shift work in which professional employees work seven days on and off and holding staff meetings outside.

Nationwide, Cox Communications rolled out guidelines in May for flexible work arrangements that could be developed according to department needs, says Rhonda Taylor, vice president of people services, Cox’s human resource division.

To become a CyberAgent, a south Louisiana Cox employee must have worked one year for the company and demonstrate good attendance, good product and technical knowledge and strong self-motivation. He or she must also demonstrate an interest in the program. Not everyone is, Plummer says. Some staff members like the interaction with fellow employees.

But overall, “the response has been great,” Plummer says. “Our representatives are excited to have the chance to work from home.”

Plummer says the program comes at no additional technology cost to Cox— employees use their own computers. Calls are still recorded and monitored so that supervisors can measure how long it takes a telecommuter to answer a call, how they’ve responded to customers and whether background noise is present, she adds.

The concept of telecommuting is sure to get another boost because of increasing gas prices, inviting companies of all sizes to ponder rolling out this employee carrot.

Then, companies that allow work-from-home incentives cannot only claim the mantle of employee flexibility, but an environmental one as well. Imagine the delight of an SUV-owner who commutes to downtown Baton Rouge from Prairieville.

Think that would build loyalty?