Gina Encinias used to spend as much as $400 a month just on gas to commute from her home in the East Mountains to her job in Albuquerque with Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico.
“The price of gas was escalating and there was no way around it,” she said. “I live in Moriarty so I had to commute.”
When Blue Cross launched a work-at-home pilot program in April 2007, she jumped at the chance to participate.
Four years later, Encinias and about 60 coworkers in the claims division have made the transition from office cubicle to working at home now that the program has gone from pilot to permanent. More employees are waiting their turn as the program continues to roll out.
Encinias still makes the trip to Albuquerque once or twice a week because of her job duties, but most of Blue Cross’ at-home employees only need to go to the office twice a month.
“I think this is the wave of the future,” said Christal Trujillo, senior manager at Blue Cross. “It helps companies decrease costs. It’s a great way to attract and keep good employees. And it’s green in that it decreases the carbon footprint.”
The trend toward work-at-home programs was underscored by the February announcement by Citibank that it was closing its 133,090-square-foot call center in Albuquerque and sending a potential 650 employees home to work.
The Citibank center opened in 1983 and, over the years, has provided jobs for thousands of New Mexicans. The company-owned building near Balloon Fiesta Park, which has a cafeteria, fitness center and backup power system, is for sale for $9,950,000.
The transition to a virtual call center is on track to be completed in August and about 450 employees are expected to participate, company spokeswoman Janis Tarter said.
What makes Citibank’s program different is that it’s a take-it-or-leave-it proposition for employees. Most work-at-home programs are either voluntary for current employees, like Blue Cross, or offered as work-at-home positions to job seekers.
Allstate Insurance, for example, has for years employed auto and property adjusters – currently there are 16 in New Mexico – who work out of their homes and, to a large degree, their cars. With the closing of Allstate’s claims call center in Albuquerque in March, the adjusters are now supervised out of Phoenix.
The work-at-home trend is driven in part by technological advances that provide secure computer connections from the employee’s home to the company database. Technology also provides the tools to monitor the employee’s computer and phone activities while on the job.
The trend is also driven by the bottom line. By letting employees work at home, companies can save money by minimizing their need for expensive commercial real estate. Citibank’s move to get rid of its bricks-and-mortar call center altogether is a dramatic example.
Last but not least, the trend is a way for companies to retain employees who might otherwise leave because of issues outside the workplace – parenthood, an illness in the family or maybe just the need for better work/life balance.
Work-at-home programs appeal to workers of all ages, although Sitel Corp. said in an email that “most fall between the ages of 35-48 years, seeking part-time employment or increased flexibility with work schedules.”
Sitel, which has 144 home-based employees affiliated with its 12-year-old call center in Albuquerque, said 80 percent of them have some level of college degree and 40 percent have management experience.
For its work-at-home program called HomeShore, Sitel said it looks for outgoing people who have “the ability to work independently and self-motivate.” The company added, “Integrity is also key.”
At Blue Cross, spokeswoman Becky Kenny said, “Before joining our at-home program, an employee must be a high performer and have a proven history of an exceptional work ethic.”
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