USA Today (02/26/13) Elizabeth Weise; Jon Swartz

Yahoo has decided that employees will no longer be able to telecommute beginning in June in an effort to foster collaboration and boost productivity. Jackie Reses, head of human resources at Yahoo, wrote in a memo to employees, “Some of the best decisions and insights come from hallway and cafeteria discussions, meeting new people and impromptu team meetings.” However, some experts criticize Yahoo’s decision, indicating that eliminating such flexibility will prevent the company from retaining top talent. While telecommuting may not work as well in jobs that depend on brainstorming, surveys show that workers find it enhances job engagement, motivation, and satisfaction. The Society for Human Resource Management reports that employers offering telecommuting jumped to 63% in 2012 from 34% in 2005.