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98% of employees’ work-related carbon footprints are generated before they even reach the office. With statistics like that, the environmental reasons to telework are undeniable.
Want some more facts? Here are five more:
- Americans would conserve over 1.2 million gallons of gas per week if only 10% of the nation’s work force teleworked merely one day a week.
- The average passenger car travels 12,500 miles per year – this translates to 606 pounds of carbon monoxide and 10,000 pounds of carbon dioxide emitted annually. However, the absence of one 30 mile round trip per week saves 1.4 pounds of carbon monoxide and 24 pounds of carbon dioxide. Using these estimates, an individual teleworking once a week would save 72.8 pounds of carbon monoxide and 1,248 pounds of carbon dioxide each year.
- About 40% or 33 million Americans with jobs suitable for remote work, these workers could collectively avoid 154 trillion miles of driving a year, saving $110 million a day and 7.5 trillion gallons of gas.
- 12 million employees and 16 million self-employed people who already work at home at least one day a month are saving 24% of guilf oil imports and avoiding production of 33 million metric tons of greenhouse gases a year.
Check back later for more green reasons to telecommute.
Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
As summer nears, construction in Minnesota hits all-time highs. This summer is no different. Articles like these become more and more frequent. It’s fitting, then, that the eworkplace program is available at a point when your commute time may very well double.
What is better: leaving early and still getting to work late? Or not having to leave at all and not having to waste time that could be spent doing work?
A no-brainer, right?
Besides, enroll early and get FREE telework consulting services.
Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
Sometimes I worry about ending up as one of those cars stalled on the side of the highway because I foolishly thought I could make it another couple miles without getting gas. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can!
… and now the car’s dead and I have to walk how far to the nearest gas station? Ugh. Bad times.
It’s a special game I play that I shouldn’t, I know it is not good for car engine too. I did it again today and I made it there as usual. I filled up at $2.65 today, which is better than it was this time last year, but it’s still not my favorite chore.
In general terms, the average worker commutes 33 miles to and from work each day. With the average car getting about 20 miles per gallon and taking into consideration the current price of gas, the 5-day work week costs:
$21.86 per week
$96.20 per month
$1,154.34 per year
And that’s just to get to work and back and not including wear and tear on the car. If we believe IRS or AAA cost of 0.54 cents a mile, the cost to drive is over $4600 over a year. Wow.
What else could you do with that money? Take a vacation abroad? Actually squirrel it away in that saving or retirement account? What else?
Whatever you do though, those savings are nothing to sneeze at and could definitely be spent on more worthwhile things than a commute.
Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
… for a Klondike bar? Not much? Okay, well, what would you do to work at home?
According to a recent survey by Citrix Systems, Inc. called “Worldwide Workplace: The Web Commuting Imperative”, 1 in 5 workers are willing to take a 5% pay cut for the freedom to telework 1-2 days a week. Not only would employees be happier, savings to companies would be immense.
Some employees feel so strongly about the idea that they have even put together their own YouTube videos. Here’s a great one that summarizes some of the benefits of telecommuting:
As you may already know, you can get more information on benefits on our website here. You can even use the information to make your own video if you’d like. Just make sure to send it to us at
[email protected]
Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
I was walking through the grocery store the other day when I heard an advertisement for eWorkPlace on the radio for the very first time. Maybe it sounds silly, but it was great to hear with my own ears that all the hard work put in by the eWorkPlace team is up and running!
Not only are we on the radio, but there are many spots where eWorkPlace is visible, including many online sites, out of home ads, and e-newsletters. Heck, here we are in the news!
What we are interested in learning is whether you have seen or heard any of these advertisements? Where have you seen or heard them? What do you think? In your opinion, what has the message been?
Please comment below and let us know your thoughts!
Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
Has anyone ever heard of OfficePOD? No, unfortunately, it does not seem to be available in the United States. This UK-based company has invented a pretty cool way to make teleworking even more convenient. Advertised as a method to “provide a working environment that is separate to home life”, the OfficePOD is a self-contained office that can be installed in a variety of places. How about your backyard? This environmentally friendly option is made of recyclable materials and available for lease for about $7,100.
Can’t afford that? Yeah, neither can I. But there are some ways to recreate the benefits of OfficePOD without the expense. The most important benefit that OfficePOD understands is the need to separate work from home life. Teleworking is popularly known for improving family-work balance, but this requires the ability to do work when you need to do work and be with your family when you need to be with your family. Of course flexibility is a major component, but so is separation. So, how can we do this without the costly OfficePOD?
A few tips:
- Make sure your home office meets the same health and safety standards as those available at work. You don’t need an OfficePOD to make sure your desk chair and keyboard are at the right height or that lighting is properly arranged to avoid eye strain.
- Designate a space or room where you can concentrate. In other words? Stay away from the TV!
- Make sure you are comfortable - the temperature and level of noise in your home should not distract you from your work.
- And perhaps most importantly? Communicate with household members who will understand you are working and will not disturb you unnecessarily. It’s the best of both worlds. If there’s an emergency, you are there to handle it. But make sure they realize you don’t have time to watch the latest episode of “The Office”… it would be too ironic, no?
Abide by these tips and you’re on your way to the benefits addressed by the OfficePOD. But for free!
Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
Teleworking may just be the cure to the common commute. That begs the question, well, what else can it cure? The latest outbreak of swine flu? The next global health threat? The longest recession since the Great Depression?
… maybe not. The correlation there can’t be so simple. But perhaps teleworking could ameliorate some of the negative effects future crises may have on the economy.
The recent swine flu pandemic resulted in a complete and total shut-down of all Mexico government offices and businesses for nearly a week. 111 million people were told to stay indoors for five days in order to prevent more infections. See the video here:
Mexico’s Ministry of Finance estimated the swine flu could reduce GDP by as much as 1%. With the current recession, these effects have felt even more severe.
These losses have also been felt in the United States due partly to higher absentee rates experienced by businesses as more people choose to stay home, per President Barack Obama's advice, when they are sick. Consequently, people also earn less and spend less in a time when the economy needs consumers to spend more.
The outbreak has prompted government agencies to review their "flu survivability". This includes, in the event of a pandemic, the ability to continue to work outside the office. Companies with solid telework plans in place are the most prepared if a pandemic escalates to the point of widespread absenteeism or building closures. Employees are able to avoid contact with others to minimize risk of infection and continue to remain productive throughout the threat. The more businesses allow their employees to telework, the smaller the hit will be to businesses and the economy in terms of cost and productivity.
Teleworking may not be the whole cure to the pandemic, but it could be one ingredient to the antidote.
Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota
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