Last week, NextGenWeb hosted its second Broadband Connectors event, this time focusing on telework programs and their benefits. Telework goes by many names, including telecommuting and working remotely, but our panelists were confident that as telework continues to grow in practice, it won’t be long before our society will simply refer to it as “work.”

And telework certainly is growing. The Telework Research Network estimates that 20 to 30 million people currently work from home at least one day a week and that 38% of people who did not currently telecommute said they had job-related tasks that they thought they could perform from home. And according to panelist Chuck Wilsker, President of the American Telework Coalition, Forrester Research predicts that over 40% of the American workforce will be telecommuting by 2016.

Jennifer Alcott, of Telework VA!, who has over sixteen years of experience helping employers from both the private and public sector to implement telework programs, added a practical perspective the discussion. She recommends that companies implement telework policies and do so thoughtfully so that

Finally, Debbie Berlyn, of Getting Older Adults Online (GOAL) advocated for the opportunities that telework brings the aging demographic both with increasing disabilities and as caregivers.

Our conclusions? The speakers agreed that broadband access and adoption are both key to moving towards our telework future and see the following benefits moving forward:

• Saves carbon emissions, wear and tear on infrastructure, and personal expenses related to commuting
• Increases personal freedom for workforce, helping with employee satisfaction, retention, and productivity
• Reduces costs for employers by lowering
• Accommodates people with disabilities, including an aging workforce that will remain in the job market longer than previous generations
• Provides jobs that are often sent offshore

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