Canadian Companies that Telecommute Could Help Save Environment

Just in time for Earth Day, some more encouraging data about telecommuting has come out. According to a collaboration by Vancouver-based Make Good and San Diego think-tank Telework Research Network (TRN)–by encouraging people to work at home–Canadian companies could save 46 million barrels of oil and avoid the production of 9 million tons of green house gas– all the while saving $50 billion a year.

Using a combined 2006 Canadian census data, the findings of over 250 studies and the TRN Telework Savings Calculator, the researched showed that only 7.7% of about 16 million Canadian workers telecommute, but 5.2 million more could. According to TRN's Principal Researcher Kate Lister:

If eligible employees worked at home just half the time it would be the same as taking 1.6 million cars off the road for a year. The research also showed that companies that support telework enjoy reduced real-estate costs, lower absenteeism and turnover, gain access to a broader workforce, and increased productivity.

Employees can save from $3,000 to $13,000 a year in work-related expenses and improve their work-and-life balance.