Its National Teleweek Feb 14-18: Do you plan to telecommute this week?

National Telework week runs from Feb 14 through Feb 18. According to the Telework Research Network,

If the 41 million Americans with telework-compatible jobs worked from home just one day during National Telework Week, U.S. savings would total $772 million including:

• $494 million in commuter costs
• $185 million from 2.3 million barrels of oil saved
• $93 million from 775 fewer traffic accidents

Plus the environment would be spared 423,000 tons of greenhouse gas-the equivalent of taking 77,000 cars off the road for a year.

The Telework Research Network is a consulting and research organization that specializes in evaluating the bottom line impact of workplace flexibility.

The success of ‘Telework Day VA’ in 2009 called by then Virginia Governor Tim Kaine, advocacy organizations throughout the country have joined the effort to raise awareness of the environmental, economic, and societal benefits of telework.

“The savings above are just the tip of the iceberg,” says Kate Lister, principal researcher of the Telework Research Network. “If you add the many employer, employee and community benefits, once-weekly telework could save the nation $350 billion a year and potentially eliminate our oil imports from both Libya and Kuwait.”

The Telework Research Network’s web-based Telework Savings Calculator, shows that companies could save over $6,500 per once-a-week teleworker.

“We’ve built a conservative model,” says Tom Harnish, senior scientist at the Telework Research Network. “The assumptions are based on a synthesis of hundreds of studies and real life examples. They recognize that not everyone wants to or can work from home, that not all driving is eliminated, that home offices use energy too, and that occasional telework offers only minimal office space savings.”

Though telecommuting is not for everyone, the many benefits of telecommuting include-

• Increased productivity & greater employee satisfaction.
• Reduced office space and overhead costs.
• Lower turnover and absenteeism.
• Energy savings and low environmental impact.

Telework week promises to encourage many business and companies to use telecommuting as a strategy to reduce business and environmental costs. Over 14,000 have already pledged to participate. Do you plan to telework this week?