The weather we are experiencing in the winter of 2011, especially in the Northeast, makes a very good argument for virtual employees.

The “real” employee will have to  shovel out/clean off their car, drive to work or to the transportation that will take you to work, either deal with terrible traffic or wait for delayed bus or train, struggle into work an hour and a half late, and then work all day, knowing they will have to repeat the struggle in the evening to get home.  Work is not as productive because everyone is bitching about the weather and their commute over coffee and the water cooler, and meetings are attended sparsely because of those who had to stay home with snow-bound children.

The virtual employee will sit down and work, productively, all day.

It has been my observation, having worked from home during the last 5 snow days, that working virtually, more work gets done, phone calls are prompter, and certainly the stress level is less than when people are obliged to go to an office to work.  Clearly, many people can’t work virtually all the time, but this is a growing trend and corporate America would do well to embrace it fully.  It is also a great way to guarantee employee loyalty.  Would any virtual employee risk going to a different company where a regular commute (and business wardrobe) was required?

I don’t think so!