For employee, the prospect of remotely working from home is extremely appealing. The idea of saving on petrol and commute time and setting your own work hours presents obvious benefits to the office worker. For employers, this notion seems like a route to reduced productivity and inefficiencies. Most traditional businesses would prefer not to allow their employees to work elsewhere apart from the office, due to the many distractions that can befall their staff at home.

However, industry research shows that this may not necessarily be the case. In fact, businesses can save on operational and overhead costs, increase worker retention, improve work/life balance and boost productivity.

According to the Telework Research Network, businesses could save up to US$6500 yearly, per employee, if they were allowed to work at home at least once a week. Additionally, a survey undertaken by Citrix Online has found that 64% of small and medium enterprises (SMEs) in the US already let their staff work remotely on a regular basis. The same survey found that in Australia, 58% of full-time staff would prefer to work from home, but that two-thirds "never have the ability to work remotely".

Despite the majority of Australian workers supporting remote working, there is no such formal policy in place. According to Macquarie Telecom, SMEs should participate in 'teleworking' or 'workshifting'. This term, coined by the California-based Citrix Online, refers to the ability to work remotely part or most of the time. However, the biggest worry for small business owners is still how to keep an eye on their employees.

President of Citrix, Brett Caine, says, "For small businesses, this challenge is particularly acute because they have fewer resources and less flexibility."

Indeed, SMEs have more to lose by allowing their staff to work remotely, but many benefits can be reaped if they do decide to follow this route. Here are a few pointers to ensure that your staff can telework effectively.

Set deadlines

Sometimes it's as simple as drawing up a detailed plan of action, goals and specific deadlines for any projects undertaken by your employee. With effective time management, any responsible employee can work around their other commitments to produce the required results. Assignments and reports can be emailed or faxed over easily, and if the need arises, your staff can come into the office once or twice a week to check in. At Citrix, a remote access site developing company, there are open computers and desks available to workshifters that come to the office less than 60% of the work week.

Schedule in meetings

Productivity can increase with the use of collaborative tools, such as teleconferences, web-based seminars and online meetings. With the advent of internet telephony applications such as Skype and other VoIP software, staff meetings can be easily conducted. There are also plenty of websites that offer a virtual 'meeting room' featuring video conferencing, file transfers, and voice recording. These vendors include Microsoft Office's Live Meeting, Citrix Online's GoToMeeting, Adobe Acrobat Connect, Google Wave and IBM Lotus Live.

According to Macquarie Telecom, "because this technology is engaging, people tend to be more focused on the task at hand than distracted by things happening in the office."

Know where they are

You don't need a GPS system to keep track of your employee's every move. Simple tools such as instant messaging, regular phone calls and even remote monitoring software ensure that your staff is doing what they are supposed to. A job logging and timesheet system is also a good way for employees to detail what tasks they have completed and virtually punch in their timecards.

Caine says, "There are lots of free or subscription quality services you can try for free to see how comfortable you are with bringing down the barriers of time and distance."

It is then up to the employee to let their company know where they are and exactly what they are doing. With today's modern technology, there's no real barrier stopping you from letting your employees engage in teleworking or workshifting.