In The News: The Power of Telecommuting

DOMANI’s Will Sarni, reporting at Sustainable Life Media, provides findings from his company’s joint-study with Cisco Systems on the power of telecommuting. From the article:

The results of the study make a compelling case for deploying “collaboration technology” and promoting telecommuting. The bottom line is that telecommuting creates value through benefits such as increased productivity, employee satisfaction and reduced carbon emissions.

Backs up what we’ve been saying all along: telecommuting is one of the best ways to increase work productivity while decreasing one’s carbon footprint. It’s also a great way to work! More on the study’s insights, here.

Virginia Governor Promotes Aug. 3rd ‘Telework Day’, Encourages Professionals to Try Working from Home, Remote Location

Cross-posted to Sturdy Roots Blog.

RICHMOND, Va. – Virginia Gov. Timothy M. Kaine today joined Telework!VA and Telework Exchange in encouraging professionals to pledge to telework from home or a remote location on Telework Day – Monday, August 3, 2009.

Employees and organization representatives across Virginia can visit the Telework Day website to sign up to telework, calculate the potential cost savings and environmental savings realized by teleworking, determine telework eligibility, and access additional telework-related resources.

Telework is a family-friendly, business-friendly public policy that promotes workplace efficiency, reduces strain on transportation infrastructure, and provides an opportunity to ‘green’ Virginia,” Governor Kaine said. “We encourage organizations and individuals in Virginia to take the Telework Day pledge and see how telework can help them improve productivity and business operations, while also benefiting the environment.

Telework Day follows on Gov. Kaine’s June 10, 2009 executive order to reduce energy consumption and increase energy efficiency at executive branch agencies and institutions. The goal of Telework Day is to encourage private employers to offer telework to their employees on this one day as a catalyst to drive more pervasive telework adoption across Virginia.

Telework Day also provides a prime opportunity for organizations to test their business continuity plans,” said Karen Jackson, Deputy Secretary of Technology, Commonwealth of Virginia. “Telework allows employees to conduct work away from their primary workplace in the case of an emergency or natural disaster. We encourage organizations to ‘stress test’ their business continuity plan and infrastructure during Telework Day.

Telework Exchange is a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework and serving the emerging educational and communication requirements of the Federal teleworker community. The Telework!VA program was launched by the Department of Rail and Public Transportation to help reduce the number of commuters on Virginia’s roadways. The program provides incentives for Virginia businesses to establish or expand telework programs for employees.

Telework Day is an important opportunity to advocate telework as a business strategy that can have a positive impact on the bottom line and improve organizational efficiency, while at the same time reducing traffic on Virginia’s roads. Telework is one of the most effective ways for people to greatly reduce their work-related carbon footprint and demonstrate that ‘work is something you do, not a place you go,’” said Jennifer Thomas Alcott, Program Manager of Telework!VA.

It is incumbent that businesses and government agencies support efforts to promote widespread adoption of telework,” said Cindy Auten, General Manager of Telework Exchange. “It’s now imperative that employees and managers alike take the next step and embrace the notion of telework. Telework Day provides that important opportunity.

For more information on Telework Day, to make an individual pledge, or to make a pledge on behalf of an organization, visit The Telework Day website.

The Commonwealth of Virginia, Telework!VA, and Telework Exchange will release a post-Telework Day report in August, highlighting the impact of Telework Day on Virginia organizations and constituents.

Want to learn more about telework? Check out the CommuterPageBlog and contact Telesaur.

Intel Sets a ‘Guerrilla’ Loose on D.C. Commuters to Promote Telecommuting

Cross-posted on Sturdy Roots Blog.

UPDATED: Intel, aided by its Washington-based PR firm Qorvis Communications, is employing a guerrilla marketing campaign – staged at D.C.’s Metrorail stations – to get more people telecommuting to work.

From Kim Hart’s article in WaPo’s “The Download” column:

Starting today, you may notice a few Metro commuters wearing suit coats, pajama pants and slippers outside the McPherson Square, Metro Center and Farragut North stops. On Wednesday, they’ll be milling around the Chinatown, Dupont Circle and Farragut West stops.

With it’s Intel Scratch IT and See Program, the chip maker hopes to create lots of buzz for new laptop PCs that allow workers to log on to their office’s networks, easily and securely. A green way to work.

Intel’s campaign is especially well-suited to D.C. where so many people work for the Federal government with secure data.

However, virtual office computing remains a touchy issue in D.C.; while some pioneering talent managers have adapted, others remain unready or unwilling to allow their team members to work virtually.

With the second-worst commutes in the nation, plus President Obama’s stated goal of getting more Federal employees here telecommuting, Intel sees a huge opening.

Here’s hoping that buzz translates to action.

What is Your Favorite Virtual Office Luxury?

Cross-posted to Sturdy Roots Blog:

We are big proponents of the virtual office.

And we’re eager to know: what is your favorite virtual office luxury?

Could it be that Aeron office chair you bought yourself last year? How ’bout your virtual-switchboard phone system? Or your power management software? Or your new hi-definition video conferencing service? Or perhaps it is that furry four-legged family member curled up on the pillow below your desk?

Inquiring minds want to know, so please post a comment and share your favorites.