More companies are choosing to hire people to work offsite thus causing an increase in the number of available telecommuting jobs. While these jobs used to be limited to the secretarial variety, many companies are now willing to provide laptops and cell phones to their remote employees. Why the added expense?
In truth it is less expensive for a company to hire remote employees because in one sense they work for the company, but they do not always create the same expenses that on site employees do. There is no need for sick days or personal time for personal use since they can work these into their work schedules.
In some telecommuting jobs the person does not work for the company directly but is an independent contractor. In this situation the employee must assume all of the costs for any insurance or retirement benefits he or she may wish to purchase. It also means as an independent contractor he or she is not eligible for unemployment in the event the position is eliminated unless the individual state allows a sole proprietor to pay into the fund. The employee is also not required to pay into Social Security but may choose to open an IRA or Keough plan.
While some people choose telecommuting jobs as a full-time venture, some employers offer their employees the option to work remotely a few days a week. The Internet has made this option easier because instead of an entire computer set up, the only thing necessary is for the employee to be able to access the company files from a remote location. These options make it easier for mothers to return to work after childbirth without the added expense of daycare and have been proven to reduce the number of days of lost time because of a child’s illness or school activities.
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