New research from global market research firm, ORC International shows that 65% of Americans believe that telecommuters are actually productive when working from home, but not all Americans are convinced – 29% say telecommuters are mostly "goofing off" when at home.

Sparked by Yahoo! and Best Buy's move to halt the telecommuting option for employees with the hopes of sparking innovation, teamwork and revenues, the survey also shows that the majority of Americans are willing to give companies that stop offering the telecommuting option the benefit of the doubt.  By a 51% to 41% margin, most Americans believe that if a company stops allowing their employees to telecommute, it is because there is a legitimate reason to do so and the business will run better as a result.

Business reasons aside, there are clearly perceived benefits to telecommuting among the public.   Overall, more than four-in-ten (43%) say that people who telecommute have a better "work-life" balance versus only 19% who say that balance is worse for telecommuters.  Additionally, more than half (51%) of those who say they are currently full-time employed believe telecommuters have a better work-life balance.

"Employees are inter-mixing work and personal life – accelerating the end of the traditional 9 to 5 office job. For many employees, having the option to telecommute gives more flexibility and a better work-life balance," says Matt Roddan , head of ORC International's US Employee Research practice. "However, it is vitally important for managers to set protocols to ensure continuous productivity, and to establish open and regular lines of communication in order to manage a telecommuting workforce effectively."

"Striking a work-life balance is crucial for many employees today. With technology enabling connectivity from anywhere in the world, employees now have more flexibility than ever. But businesses need to be cautious- while having a telecommuting workforce can help reduce overhead costs associated with brick and mortar operations and also help with attracting talent, it might not be right for every business," added Jeff Resnick , Global Managing Director at ORC International. "Business cycles often dictate different workforce strategies.  Until the day that virtual meetings and employee interactions are as second nature as physical ones, there may be a need to have employees rub elbows in the real world.  Getting employees aligned to achieve corporate goals can be tricky.  Sometimes the water cooler plays a pivotal role," he added.