Survey says... More employees work from home!

According to a survey from WorldatWork a record number of companies in the United States and Canada are permitting employees to work from home.

Forty-two percent of U.S. companies surveyed say they have offered their employees work-from-home programs this year, up from 30 percent last year. In Canada, the jump was even bigger — from 25 percent last year to 40 percent this year.

Some of the survey findings include:

• Part-time employment with benefits is offered by 38 percent of employers in Canada and 37 percent of employers in the U.S.
• Retention bonuses grew from 27 percent in 2004 to 38 percent in 2008 in the U.S. with similar growth in Canada.
• Sign on/hiring bonuses are on the rise in both the U.S. (70 percent) and Canada (51 percent).
• Stock grant programs are experiencing more rapid growth in the U.S. -- from 7 percent in 2004 to 20 percent this year.
• Stock option programs are slightly down in the U.S., from 23 to 22 percent in 2008.
• For pay rates, 31 percent of U.S. employers pay above market compared to 25 percent in Canada.

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