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Telework is a growing method of employment with a variety of benefits. Telework enables work from anywhere, anytime through information communication technologies (ICT) (Garett & Danziger, 2006). A recent Gallup poll of 1011 adults in the U.S. shows a steady increase in telework, with a short term dip caused by the 2008 economic crash (see Figure 1) (Jones, 2015).
Figure 1. Source: Gallup Education and Work poll August 5 - 9, 2015 Forbes analyzed 40,000 jobs posted on Flexjobs 2015 to create the Top 100 Companies for Remote Jobs list (See Appendix A). The 36% increase of listings from the previous year included jobs in IT, medical and health, sales, administration, customer service, education and training, and marketing (Shin, 2016). The variation of jobs permitting telework include full time, part time, contract and seasonal workers. Unexpected were some positions, such as Director of Community Advancement - full time, Physiotherapist - part time, Expert Wellness Coach - part time, and Vice President of Communications and Development - full time (FlexJobs, 2016). Other recently posted positions are listed in Table 1.
Table 1.
May 2016 Listings (partial list)
| Position | Telecommute | Duties | Worker Location |
| Farm Food Safety Manager | Full Time | Develop criteria for assurance & assessment of farm practices to ensure food safety | Anywhere in US |
| Notary | Part Time | Reviewing, signing, & notarizing documents | Must work in City or State specified |
| Production Assistant Multicultural Marketing | Freelance for Contract | US Latin American culture & editing software knowledge | Must work in City or State specified |
| Assistant Architectural Historian | Seasonal | Supports projects through historical research | Must work in City or State specified |
| Managing Editor | Full Time | Manage city-level writers, perform researching, & edit articles & features | Anywhere in US |
Source: FlexJobs, 2016
Key Terms in this Chapter
Physical Distance: Variances in space, time and environment.
Virtual Distance: Working and communicating mainly, or exclusively, through technology.
Telework: Work done remotely from the office using some form of telecommunications; also referred to as telecommuting.
ICT: Information communications technology.
Affinity Distance: Emotional separation between virtual team members who have no personal relationship.
Knowledge Worker: Researchers, planners, analysts and/or developers who acquire, manipulate, and analyze information.
Operational Distance: Psychological gaps regarding workplace issues.