As an online worker for the past four years, I know firsthand the benefits of telecommuting. In fact, I’d be happy if I never set foot inside a corporate office in my entire life. However, I can only say that because I’m a freelancer. Even with all the available resources and studies regarding the benefits of telework, there are still those who are skeptical about taking the leap – and they cite several reasons why.

Telecommuting hinders career growth. In the Workplace Index Survey conducted by Steelcase this year, 64% of the respondents said that they believed telecommuting lowers their chance for career advancement because they don’t have face-to-face contact with their employers. This highlights a common belief held by most people – that one main disadvantage of telecommuting is that it stunts career growth.

However, studies on the matter have shown otherwise. According to research from Pennsylvania State University, telecommuting doesn’t actually hamper career opportunities, nor does it affect relationship-building at work.

Most businesses lack in-house training programs and policies. Several issues such as data security, or effective use of teleworking equipment and tools are left unaddressed by companies that are allowing telecommuting for the first time. This leads to security breaches, and uncertainty for both the employer and employee who are unsure where the company stands on certain issues.

Obviously, security, privacy, and efficiency programs should be one of the initial concerns for any telecommuting effort. The focus shouldn’t be on the brand of computer the teleworker with use. Instead, employers should focus on whether the employee knows how to use the equipment securely.

As for policies, defining them early on helps prevent costly mistakes. Who will be allowed to telecommute and why? What are the safety regulations that the telecommuter needs to follow in his home office? How do you define a privacy breach? Having answers to these questions helps both parties feel secure about the move to telecommute.

Lack of systematic, standardized processes. As a result, employers usually don’t know where to start. This makes them see their first telecommuting effort as a chore that might not pay off. They worry about employee productivity, work measurement, and how it will affect their profits. They have good cause to worry – attempts at telecommuting can fail, if done wrong.

The good news is that there are several ways to go around the lack of established telecommuting practices within a company. Large companies, as long as they have a good percentage of interested employees, can hire a professional to help them set up efficient systems. If smaller businesses believe that they can benefit from having their employees telecommute, they can set up a team to research its feasibility and infrastructure. They will be able to do this much easier within the coming years, as telecommuting becomes more commonplace and several resources will be made available to the public.

Despite these obstacles to successful widespread telecommuting, we shouldn’t focus on the things that don’t work. In fact, these obstacles should be seen as challenges and opportunities for businesses and their employees to grow together and actually make things work.