According to a 2000 survey of top U.S. executives, telecommuting will be the biggest workplace trend this century as employees seek to balance job and family. The survey, conducted by Chicago-based international outplacement firm Challenger, Gray & Christmas Inc., found:

• per cent of top executives said their companies risked turning away business due to a severe labor crisis
• 62 per cent say telecommuting is so advantageous to workers, it is being held out as the carrot to attract new employees and retain existing staff
• Not only will increased telecommuting pay off for workers, but it will also translate to more productivity for employers. Some companies in the study report telecommuting employees have productivity rates up to 25 per cent higher than workers who just worked in a central office