The opportunity to telecommute can increase the engagement level of employees, according to a report from research firm Gallup. As reported in its State of the American Workplace: Employee Engagement Insights for U.S. Business Leaders, Gallup found a clear correlation between time spent telecommuting and employee engagement in their work. It’s an interesting read given Yahoo’s recent ban on telecommuting. “(Yahoo) made the point that employees working from home have fewer chances to collaborate with coworkers,” the report notes. “While this may be true, Gallup found that companies that offer the opportunity to work remotely might have some advantages when it comes to employee engagement.” Employees who are allowed to telecommute for 20 percent of their working time -- about a third of the workforce -- are the most engaged. While the level of engagement begins to drift down as they spend more time working off site, it doesn’t sink as low as for those who never work remotely. Overall, Gallup found that 32 percent of employees are slightly more engaged if allowed to work from home, compared to 28 percent of those who are never allowed to telecommute. Nearly 4 in 10 telecommuting employees spend more time working – 46 hours per week – than those who don’t work remotely. They average 42 hours per week.