Survey shows more than 1/3 would take cut in pay to telework

Most Americans won’t take a pay cut to telecommute, according to a survey from WorldatWork. Its Telework Trendlines™ 2009 Report showed that most (61 percent) would not trade pay for the "privilege" of telecommuting.

In response to the question, ”Would you be willing to be paid slightly less by your employer in exchange for being allowed to telecommute two days per week?”, 61 percent of employed respondents who are not currently working remotely but feel they could answered “no.” Thirty-five percent said they would take a pay cut for the opportunity to telecommute.

Pay cut for telecommuting?

The New York Times featured an article about of the community of Crested Butte, a remote town in the Elk Mountains of central Colorado. It seems that this spot attracts telecommuters -- for the chance to live somewhere beautiful and take ski breaks as needed.

Stephen Regenold interviewed John Girard, a Gartner analyst, who said that having remote workers could save a corporation money. “Companies investigating operating costs often look to trim office space and real estate,” he said. “One solution is to have people telecommute.”

But it was the next paragraph that hit me: "Mr. Girard noted that some workers were willing to accept reduced pay to telecommute and live where they wanted to live. “In a bad economy, that makes sense.”

Will one of the results of this rotten economy be that telecommuters will take pay cuts to live where they wish?