Looking to save time and money, and cut down on greenhouse gas emissions, thousands of U.S. employers and individuals are pledging to participate in National Telework Week Feb. 14-18, 2011.
Telework Week is an initiative underwritten by Cisco to encourage organizations, individuals and government agencies to telework some portion of those five days. Telework involves working from home or a satellite office.
The week is designed as a way for managers and employees to pilot telework initiatives and to test their information technology infrastructure’s ability to handle telecommuting. In addition, it provides managers an opportunity to test and update their business continuity plans in the event of a disaster, according to the Telework Exchange.
In December 2010, President Barack Obama signed the Telework Enhancement Act into law. The law makes more than 1 million federal employees eligible for telecommuting. It requires all federal agencies to establish telework policies by June 2011.
More than 36,000 individuals and organizations have pledged to participate in Telework Week, according to the Telework Exchange, which estimates a collective savings of $2.5 million in commuting costs and eliminating 1.6 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions.
If these same people and organizations were to telework one day a week for one year they would collectively save more than $65.4 million in commuting costs and help reduce traffic gridlock, according to the exchange.
Employers might find they want to use telework as a recruitment and retention tool for job candidates and employees looking for workplace flexibility.
Visit the exchange to calculate potential commuter cost and environmental savings, and to pledge to telework during Feb. 14-18.
Related Resource:
Workplace Flexibility Resource Page, SHRM Online Benefits Discipline