More companies letting staff work from home

A record number of companies in the U.S. and Canada now allow employees to work from home, according to a new survey from WorldatWork. Forty-two percent of U.S. companies said they offered teleworking programs to employees this year, up from 30 percent last year. In Canada the jump was from 25 percent to 40 percent.

“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, a human resources association based in Socttsdale, Ariz.

The survey found that employers in both the United States and Canada are deploying a similar mix of employee rewards programs to attract and retain talent. Findings include:

• Part-time employment with benefits is offered by 38 percent of employers in Canada and 37 percent of U.S. employers.
• Retention bonuses grew from 27 percent in 2004 to 38 percent in 2008 in the United States with similar growth in Canada.
• Sign on/hiring bonuses are on the rise in both the United States (70 percent) and Canada (51 percent).
• Stock grant programs are experiencing more rapid growth in the United States — from 7 percent in 2004 to 20 percent this year.
• Stock option programs are slightly down in the United States, from 23 percent to 22 percent in 2008.
• For pay rates, 31 percent of U.S. employers pay above market compared to 25 percent in Canada.

Survey respondents were WorldatWork members employed in the human resources, compensation and benefits departments of mostly large North American companies.