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A key step in planning your telework program is to consider the range of costs involved in developing,
implementing and managing the program, and to budget accordingly.
Program Planning & Development: The up-front costs associated with planning a telework program
primarily involve staff time:
- Labor/time for project team members
- Legal or consultant fees
- Development of training programs
- Printing, web design, materials preparation
- Conducting training/staff time to attend training
IT Set-Up Costs: Consider looking at initial IT set-up costs from two perspectives. First, what
changes need to be made to your IT infrastructure to support a pilot program, and what you think will
be needed to expand the program and run it on an on-going basis. IT set-up costs can range from minimal
to major and depend upon a wide range of factors, including the number of people teleworking, the type
of work they will be doing and the sensitivity of data involved, to the size and complexity of your current
IT infrastructure (internal network, Internet connectivity, phone lines and system, help desk support and
tools).
- IT staff time to design/implement changes
- Costs associated with changes to network, security, etc.
- Additional computer equipment required
- Additional software required
- Additional bandwidth required
Employee "Outfitting" Costs: Costs associated with outfitting your employees for telework can also
range from minimal to major, and be influenced by the type of work conducted remotely and the frequency
of telework. Outfitting requirements may vary by employee and by department, and can include costs for
some or all of the items listed below. In some instances an organization may allow an employee to use the
equipment and services already set up in their own home office, thereby reducing the initial program costs
associated with setting an employee up for telework.
- Telephone (land line or mobile)
- Computer
- Peripherals (printer, scanner, fax, web cam, etc.)
- Software (licenses and maintenance)
- Office furniture (a good chair is the highest priority)
- Supplies (paper, ink, toner, file folders, etc.)
Ongoing Operational Costs: The possible ongoing costs associated with running a telework program
can include some of the items listed below. One of the tasks in evaluating the cost of a telework program
is to determine if these costs are any higher for teleworker than they would be if employees were working
in the office.
- Program coordinator salary
- Additional management support
- Additional IT support (e.g, for help desk)
- Ongoing training & training new teleworkers
- Additional recordkeeping
- Computer/peripheral equipment maintenance
- Computer/peripheral equipment replacement
- Monthly service fees - phone
- Monthly service fees - Internet access
- Web-based (SaaS) service fees
- Additional software licenses
- Additional insurance payments
Ongoing tracking and reporting of program costs will be essential to effective evaluation of your
telework program's success.
Savings From Telework: Telework can also save money. Below are some of the areas where
organizations can realize significant savings or that provide other value to the organization.
- Reduced recruiting expenses
- Reduced sick leave
- Reduced absenteeism
- Real estate savings
- Reduced energy costs
- Reduced parking & transportation expenses
- Increased productivity
- Disaster preparedness
- Commute Trip Reduction goals
- Environmental goals
See the toolkit's Cost/Benefit Analysis Guide
and Employee Outfitting Costs Form.
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