Employee Benefits

• Without having to commute to an office or other work location each day, an employee saves on the cost of commuting. Expenses such as fuel and repairs to a vehicle caused by the daily commute are saved by the employee; he also doesn't have to spend money on mass transit. The employee doesn't have to purchase as many work clothes and likely won't eat out at restaurants as often.
  
  

Organizational Benefits

• Because supervisors can't base their evaluation of employees on whether they appear to be at their desks and working, employees are evaluated by their actual job performance or output. This method of measurement benefits the organization financially, as employees become more productive to survive in the organization. During times when accessing the physical workplace is difficult, if not impossible, such as during the aftermath of a natural disaster, employees can still perform their work. An employer is also able to reduce the office space it leases, as less desk space is needed.
  
  

Community Benefits

• A community's mass transit system doesn't need to accommodate as many passengers during rush-hour periods in the morning and evening if an increased number of citizens telecommute. A decreased number of vehicles on the roads during rush-hour periods also results in faster-moving traffic, fewer accidents and fewer police needed on the roads. Fewer vehicles on the roads also means less road maintenance is needed, freeing up funds for other community projects.
  
  

Negative Impacts

• Depending on the organization, an employee who telecommutes may suffer financially if she's passed over for promotions that go to employees who work on-site each day. An employee who telecommutes may not be able to access equipment and supplies easily that are needed to perform certain job functions, creating a negative financial impact for the organization as the employee's productivity falters. Proprietary or high-risk information from the organization, such as customer payment information, may be lost more easily by an employee working off-site, exposing the employer to more financial risk. Members of carpooling or ride-share groups may be lost to telecommuting, creating difficulty for the remaining members of these groups to continue.