9 Work From Home Companies That Were Around Before the Internet

Do you wish you could take charge of your work schedule? But do your web searches for remote jobs return scams and startups with no reputations? Fortunately, trusted work from home companies have been around since before the Internet.

You’d love to be able to work from home. But your boss will never go for it. When you’ve suggested it, he just laughs it off. But when you started, he promised you work-life balance. Those scales never seem to tip in your favor.

You’re at a crossroads now. You’d love to start your own business, but that will take a long time to turn a profit. And everything you read online feels shady. But you know this: You can’t stay where you are. It’s time to move on.

You have to find a new place to work if you’ll ever have the flexible schedule you need. You need a work from home career that empowers you to succeed in all areas of life.

work from home companies

1. DELL, 1984

Employees often consider working from home a great perk. But Dell doesn’t just care about employee morale. They made this business decision to save money and have a positive impact on the environment.

In 2016, Dell said that 25% of their employees worked from home. Their plan is to double that number to 50% by 2020. Dell employees can choose where they work as long as their job doesn’t need them to be on site.

Dell employees average about $350 per year in commuting costs. They emit 35,000 fewer metric tons of greenhouse gases. Dell also says they’ve seen no reduction in productivity. They believe that allowing their employees to work from home makes them better.

2. TTEC, 1982

Approximately 50,000 employees in 24 countries work for TTEC. Many of them work in large call centers. But a large number of TTEC employees work from home in virtual call centers. These include supervisors, team leads, and customer service associates.

If you’re friendly and self-motivated, TTEC says you’re likely eligible to work from home. TTEC@Home associates support callers with customer service and technical needs. They interact via phone, chat, and social media.

3. Working Solutions, 1996

Technically, the popularity of internet access was starting to rise in 1996. But few businesses or workers were using it to make a living. Working Solutions started in 1996 to provide legitimate work-at-home opportunities. And they never looked back.

You work for Worker Solutions as a contractor after accepted for an assignment. As a contractor, they do not withhold taxes from your earnings. They also do not provide benefits of any kind. But they say that some jobs can pay up to $30 per hour.

Working with the company may give you a taste of the entrepreneurial life. Stay-at-home parents, seniors, military spouses find that these “freelance” jobs work for them. Working Solutions also sometimes offers corporate remote jobs. In these positions, you work directly for their company and receive benefits.

4. AETNA, 1853

Aetna has a work at home program that 43% of its employees take part in. There are often hundreds of jobs available where employees can work remotely. Jobs include marketing, management, and IT.

Employee benefits packages at Aetna are robust. They include medical, dental, and vision. They offer wellness and fitness programs, free financial consulting. Aetna also offers compressed work weeks and variable scheduling.

Customer service jobs are popular work at home positions for Aetna. But some specialized roles are also available. These include data analysts, clinical liaisons and account managers. If you search for a job from Aetna, they refer to the jobs as “Potential Telework Positions.”

5. UnitedHealth Group, 1977

UnitedHealth Group has hundreds of full-time, remote positions that come with benefits. Many UnitedHealthcare that allow telecommuting are tied to a job location. But some positions, such as data entry specialists and medical underwriters, are not.

Some remote workers prefer to be based out of a local office. This gives them the opportunity to meet with other employees in their local area. RNs, managers, and provider relations employees have office resources when needed. But they still have the flexibility of working at home.

UnitedHealth Group refers to their remote and work-at-home positions as “Telecommute” positions. Some are filled with telecommuters only. Others can be considered for telecommuting. And many other jobs allow for flexible scheduling.

6. Intuit, 1983

Intuit is a business and financial software company. Their flagship products are TurboTax and Quickbooks. But programmers aren’t the only remote jobs they offer.

Intuit’s goal is to make business tax preparation and accounting easy. And to help customers get the refunds they deserve. Many find these jobs exciting because they work with a wide range of customers. These range from first-time taxpayers to entrepreneurs to long-time business owners.

Tax Support roles are available for professionals with no tax active credentials. Credentialed Tax Experts can earn more. Intuit offers perks, like flexible schedules, retirement plans, and a stock purchase plan.

Intuit offers full- and part-time seasonal positions during the tax season. Some positions are hired based on location because of tax advisor residency requirements. Intuit refers to these jobs as “remote” positions when you conduct a search. They start hiring in the early fall for seasonal remote positions.

7. Kelly Services, 1946

If you’ve ever been on a job search and have been open to temporary work, you’ve probably heard of Kelly Services. With almost 8,000 employees, they’re one of the largest staffing companies. They place employees at all levels in many sectors, such as financial services, IT, and law.

Aside from staffing, Kelly offers professional services. These include human resource and management consulting, outsourcing, and recruitment. They’re one of the pioneers of the modern staffing agency.

A common remote position Kelly hires for is its virtual call center. Instead of having to sit in a cube farm, you can work from the comfort of your own home. Kelly recommends that you assess whether working at home is right for you. You must be self-motivated, have a dedicated workspace, and be able to cut out distractions.

8. Kaplan, 1938

Stanley Kaplan started tutoring students in the basement of his parents’ home in 1938. In the 1940s, universities started relying more on standardized tests. Kaplan decided to help students improve their scores with preparation.

Now with over 30,000 employees, Kaplan offers a wide range of careers, many of them allowing for remote work. Even though they are in the education business, not all jobs are educational in nature.

Remote positions are available in areas of customer service, technology, and finance. Many positions allow flexibility to work from a home office but require local travel. These include sales, marketing, and tutoring roles.

Kaplan values the competitive edge they get from each employee’s unique perspective. Positions like test writers, inside sales, and licensing instructors come with full benefits. Employees and family members can take free or heavily discounted Kaplan courses. Work-at-home positions are listed on the Kaplan site as “Remote/Nationwide USA” location.

9. Humana, 1961

Humana was founded as a nursing home company called Extendicare. In 1974, they moved into hospitals and changed their name to Humana. They got into the health insurance business in 1984 and since then have grown to nearly 50,000 employees.

The company believes that its well-being movement is advanced by happier, healthier employees. Their culture centers around a work-life balance. Remote positions are typically tied to a specific location, but many are not. Much of their work requires local licensing. Search by your expertise and then filter by remote positions.

Common remote positions require answering complex benefit inquiries, customer complaints, and records requests. Others involve support positions for the nursing team. The staff compares medical care to coverage guidelines. Humana filters remote positions as “Virtual/Work at Home” on their site.

More Jobs at Work From Home Companies

These aren’t the only companies that offer work from home. And the positions already mentioned aren’t the only opportunities they have available. If you’re serious about changing your life, consider these popular work at home positions.

  • Virtual Assistant
  • Freelance Writer
  • Social Media Manager
  • Medical Transcriptionist
  • Translator
  • Web Developer
  • Travel Agent

Do you have any skills in these areas? If so, could you imagine getting a job where you could use these skills to work from home?

Find Reputable Work From Home Companies

It can be difficult to find real opportunities amidst all the pie in the sky offers on the Internet. Here’s a list of sites where you can find a new job that will make your wildest dreams come true.

  • ZipRecruiter
  • AngelList
  • FlexJobs
  • The Penny Hoarder
  • Glassdoor
  • Indeed

So, what are you waiting for? There are plenty of places to start looking. So, why not get started right now?

Start Working From Home Today!

A work from home job will help you better care for your family. You’ll avoid the commute and the stress that comes with it. And you’ll simply have more freedom. A work from home job lets you seize control of your future.

Be a part of the work from home movement. Many who work from home love the flexibility it offers. Why let them have all the fun? They’re often able to achieve even more than if they worked in an office. Work from home companies recognize the benefits. Don’t let your boss hold you back any longer. Find a work at home job now!