New York Times discusses how working from home benefits employers While working from home is often viewed as an advantageous policy for employees, it also produces many benefits for employers. Several studies have demonstrated the benefits of working from home from an employer perspective. The New York Times cites four concrete ways that the model benefits employers: greater employee productivity, less traffic during peak hours due to telecommuting, reduction in companies’ real estate costs and improvements to employee morale, which results in less turnover. A Stanford study of the Chinese travel agency, CTrip, which employs 16,000 workers, expands on these benefits to employers. The Times explains that the study’s researchers assigned, at random, 250 call center employees to work from home or at the office for nine months. What they found was that at-home workers were more productive. They spent 9 percent more time on calls and were more productive, administering 4 percent more calls per minute. However, in addition to being more productive, they also were sick less often and experienced improved well-being and lower turnover. These less tangible benefits should not be overlooked, as they contribute to greater productivity and quality as well. Moreover, working from home offers a cost-effective solution that does not sacrifice quality. Through employing at-home workers, you can draw from a larger applicant pool. For example, JetBlue explained to the Stanford researchers that they decided to embrace the at-home model to gain access to high-ability mothers looking for a better work-home balance. To improve your company’s customer service solutions and customer retention, consider working with a onshore customer service contact center that embraces the At-Home Agent business model.