Check out this interview with Kate Lister, with the Telework Research Institute.   She will change your perception of Telecommuting.
 
 
If you ever wondered how we are going to ever get out of this recession.  The answer may lie in telecommuting as a tool for saving companies and individuals a ton of money, and a way to lower carbon emissions.  Running the numbers for Oakland, CA., it shows the benefits that the mere 5.48% of the total workforce of 172,887 total workers are having.  They are keeping 12,267 tons of greenhouse gas from being produced.  Their lack of commuting is reducing consumption of gas by 1.3 million dollars, or 3.4 million gallons of gasoline.   Local companies could save $139 billion in real estate costs if they chose to not provide space for telecommuters. 


There are many more categories of things to be saved, and for the full list, or to see what savings can be had in your area, try the calculator created by the Telework Research Institute.    It will change how you think about telecommuting from it being a luxury, to a necessity.  
 
Post Title. 09/14/2010
 

A model of telecommuting, Sun (Now Oracle) has lead the way with it's "Open Work" program, that has served as a model for other companies thinking about using this mode as a way of saving money, and reduce carbon footprint.  I pasted a recent article about this below. 
AT WORK | JUNE 10, 2008 | BY THURSDAY BRAMSun's Telecommuting Program SucceedsSun Microsystems released the findings of its Open Work Energy Measurement Project yesterday morning. The in-depth study followed more than 100 participants in Sun’s telecommuting program to determine just how effective the program is.
The results of the study more than confirm Sun’s expectations: working from home only a few days a week is enough to significantly cut both costs and emissions. Their findings include the following:

  • Commuting was more than 98 percent of each employee’s carbon footprint at work. Only 1.7 percent of the total carbon emissions in an employee’s year is from powering office equipment.
  • Allowing employees to telecommute 2.5 days a week reduces each employee’s energy usage by 5,400 kilowatt hours per year.
  • By working at home 2.5 days a week, an employee saves $1,700 of her own money in gasoline and vehicle maintenance costs.

Sun Microsystems’ Open Work program has been recognized as one of the most effective telecommuting platforms with organizations such as the Environmental Defense Fund holding them up a good example. Through the Open Work program, approximately 19.000 employees work from home either full or part-time, all over the world. That’s approximately 56 percent of Sun’s employee population.


As telecommuting takes hold, people will realize the benefits, especially that of an increased quality of life.  One of the ways they will enhance their effectiveness is by finding a high quality of space.  That's where our curvy little building can be a real solution.   Inside the space we've created there are warm, natural, finishes that set the mind at ease.  There is plenty of insulation that completely surrounds the occupant, and creates an incredibly quiet acoustic space. The curved surfaces also focus the sound waves, making it the ideal environment for listening to music, or having a teleconference.  The lighting for the space can be dimmed, and is grouped, so you can make the lighting varied depending on the circumstance.  And finally, we think the configuration of the desk space is ideal for tech-minded folks who like gadgets, monitors, etc., but don't like to deal with all the cords.  Luckily we created a "cord chase" where all the wiring is hidden behind removable birch plywood panels. The desk area has a recessed zone for up to 3 24" wide monitors, and undercounter lights provide work lighting while not interfering with screen visability.  Also, solid blocking behind allows for wall mounting. 


Our units could be a replacement to the cubicle, only curvy, and in a garden setting, versus a large office building with stale air.  And like the cubicle, where people generally communicate via an office-wide messaging system, or via email, our units could be networked together, making working as a team a seamless endeavor.  Also, telepresence systems are affordable, and could make this prospect all the more possible.  Businesses could reduce their space needs down to a core volume that might include a small and large meeting area, a work area, reception, bathrooms, and a kitchen and break area. By downsizing their expensive spaces, they could save a lot of overhead expense, and maybe this could lead to being able to retain employees.