The trend of telecommuting has caught on in most of the countries of the world, with a fifth of the total global workforce working from home daily, according to a survey conducted by Ipsos Global Public Affairs.
Telecommuting is almost a routine in certain nations, with India topping, as more than 50% of the workers here telecommute, followed by Indonesia and Mexico with 34% and 30%, respectively.
The other countries where it has become quite common include Turkey, South Africa and Argentina.
Ipsos Global Public Affairs research manager Keren Gottfried said the trend is fast spreading in the emerging markets.
It was observed that Europe, albeit a bit sceptical, and North America are of the notion that it is a better way of retaining employees, particularly women, as it provides a better work-life balance.
However, about 21% of the global workforce disagrees with the idea as certain types work require them to be at their workplaces.
About 65% of those surveyed opined telecommuting improved productivity.
In countries like India, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, there was a concern that telecommuting could impact family ties adversely, as when people are working from home boundaries between work and private time may get blurred.
