Employers Urged to Go Green by Expanding Telecommuting

Employers Urged to Go Green by Expanding Telecommuting
Posted by Ainsley Jones on April 23, 2008 at 10:10 am

Gas prices and green initiatives could fuel a boon for telework. News.com reported that the American Electronics Agency released a report on Earth Day calling on employers to cut carbon emissions and reduce energy consumption by giving more workers the option to work from home. The report cited an earlier study from the Environmental Protection Agency that says $4.5 billion worth of gas would be saved and 26 billion pounds of carbon dioxide would be averted if employees that could feasibly work from their homes did so 1.6 days per week.

The flexibility telecommuting provides is often seen as a perk by employees looking to balance their professional and personal lives. Employers that readdress their telework policies will have to keep the morale of office-bound employees up. Research from Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute found that job satisfaction went down for in-office employees as more of their coworkers took advantage of telecommuting.

Another issue to be considered regarding telecommuting policies: security. It remains the number-one issue of concern among public and private employers with regards to telework.