Looking at the Costs of Remote Workers

CIOs may find it worthwhile to reduce costs by buying converged remote communication solutions, too. Buying support and security software on a piecemeal basis for 1,000 remote workers can cost about $800 per user. Buying a converged remote communication solution can reduce that amount to $250 per user—assuming that a single vendor's solution really supplies everything you need.

Poor financial tracking of remote worker support is common. Right now, you may have no way to quantify the cost of supporting remote workers, much less comparing it to what it costs to have an employee in the office. (Gartner's numbers say the average cost to support remote workers is $307 per month above in-house workers—and Pultz didn't mention the savings from the boss not bringing donuts into the office. Even though some remote workers like donuts as much as their in-office counterparts.)

One problem with acquiring these remote communications solutions is that it shifts budgets in ways that may not be comfortable to IT departments. It's hard to get a handle on the total cost of the remote worker, since the dollars are spread across so many places. Some is paid for by a business unit; another portion of the money outlaid appears on the employee's monthly expense report; still another section is carried by IT. So, if a CIO looks into using remote policy services from an independent service provider, such as iPass, Fibrelink or Megapath, combining several types of expenses into one, the budget shift may land in your IT department's lap—even if it's less than the company was paying before.

And that's assuming that the company is picking up all the expenses. According to Gartner's research, 59 percent of employers pay the full costs for their remote workers, and 13 percent of employers reimburse workers for their telecommuting expenses. Pultz recommended that IT shops do their best to get a cost picture. That may mean adding new categories to expense reports, so that hotel broadband is identified as a telework expense and not just travel.

Go through the segmentation of remote workers to learn what each category of user really needs, he suggested; then look through the policies in place and see where to make changes. No matter how you go about it, he said, "Invest more substantially and strategically in remote working. "

Senior Online Editor Esther Schindler works remotely from her home in Scottsdale, Ariz. Without any donuts whatsoever.