Teleworkers are happier than traditional office workers! http://bit.ly/hDm9jv

Employees who spend most of their time telecommuting are more satisfied with their jobs—mainly because they avoid workplace distractions and stressors like office politics, interruptions, constant meetings and information overload.

That’s according to new research by Kathryn Fonner, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee professor of communication, and Michael Roloff, a professor of communication studies at Northwestern University.

The study compared the advantages and disadvantages of telecommuting over traditional office work. Participants who telework at least three days a week reported decreased work life conflict.

“Our findings emphasize the advantages of restricted face-to-face interaction, and also highlight the need for organizations to identify and address the problematic and unsatisfying issues inherent in collocated work environments,” Fonner said. “With lower stress and fewer distractions, employees can prevent work from seeping into their personal lives.”

In addition to implementing telework arrangements for employees, organizations may consider several other strategies to boost job satisfaction for both office-based and distance workers, Fonner adds, including:

• limiting the number of meetings and mass emails
• streamlining office communication by creating a repository of information that can be accessed at any time
• designating certain time and space where office-based employees can work uninterrupted
• encouraging employees to disconnect from workplace communication after hours.

The findings are published in the Journal of Applied Communication Research.

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