As 2014 continues to forecast political deadlock, economic instability, and pinched budgets, businesses are looking for strategies to cut down costs while maintaining productivity. Telework is a proven, viable option for promoting business continuity, maximizing real estate and commuter costs savings, and improving productivity. Already, more than 121,ooo people have pledged to telework from March 3-7, 2014 as part of Telework Week 2014–the fourth annual, global initiative hosted by Mobile Work Exchange.
According to Telework Week data, pledges will avoid consuming more than 688,220 gallons of gas in one week. The average teleworker will save an average of $90 during Telework Week by not commuting – translating to $4,500 a year (per average worker) in commuting savings. What does an extra $90 a week mean to the average American? Telework saves on commuting, saves on time, and saves the environment.
Here’s what we know from the more than 121,000 pledges that have already been made:
- Pledges will collectively save $10.2 million in commuting savings in one week. For a year, that’s a collective savings of $513 million
- Average will save four hours by not commuting in one week – equivalent to 200 hours a year
- Pledges will avoid consuming more than 688,220 gallons of gas in one week; in a year, each teleworking pledge can lower their household carbon footprint by 2.7 CO2 tons
Last year, more than 136,000 pledged, and the results were staggering. Collectively, Telework Week 2013 resulted in:
- $12.3 million in commuting costs saved
- 665,936 hours gained back into participants’ days
- 7,892 tons of pollutants removed from the air
- 12.1 million miles not driven that normally would have been
Make sure your company knows about Telework Week 2014. The benefits to telecommuting are real. According to the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, telework supports:
- Business continuity
- Improved productivity
- Real estate savings
- Personnel recruitment and retention
- Work/life balance and commuter cost savings
- Reduction of traffic, greenhouse gas emissions, and wear and tear on public transportation
- Meeting legislative mandates – the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010
Follow the link above to learn more about Telework Week 2014 and to make your pledge!
Susan Gunelius
Susan Gunelius is the Founder and Editor-in-Chief of Women on Business. She is a 30-year veteran of the marketing field and has authored a dozen books about marketing, branding, and social media, including the highly popular Ultimate Guide to Email Marketing, 30-Minute Social Media Marketing, Content Marketing for Dummies, Blogging All-in-One for Dummies and Kick-ass Copywriting in 10 Easy Steps. Susan’s marketing-related content can be found on Entrepreneur.com, Forbes.com, MSNBC.com, BusinessWeek.com, and more. Susan is President & CEO of KeySplash Creative, Inc., a marketing communications company. She has worked in corporate marketing roles and through client relationships with AT&T, HSBC, Citibank, Intuit, The New York Times, Cox Communications, and many more large and small companies around the world. Susan also speaks about marketing, branding and social media at events around the world and is frequently interviewed by television, online, radio, and print media organizations about these topics. She holds an MBA in Management and Strategy and a Bachelor of Science degree in Marketing and is a Certified Professional Career Coach (CPCC).
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