If you haven’t read about peak oil yet, do some research sooner than later. You’ll be grateful you did. In the meantime, consider that “going green” is the most popular trend in cutting edge business practices.
Someone in your industry is going to be the eco trendsetter. Will it be you? It’s a label that draws a lot of media coverage and widespread appreciation. Any company looking to enhance its online reputation should take a closer look at going green.
Telecommuting, i.e. working remotely, is a fairly easy way for any company with phone sales or computer based employees to contribute to a greener economy. According to Treehugger, most employers still resist telecommuting despite the obvious benefits.
“In a poll of 1,500 technology workers, 37% said they would accept a salary cut (of up to 10%) if they could work from home, according to Dice Holdings.”
The United States could save an estimated 9.7 million gallons of gas and $38.2 billion per year from white collar employees working remotely from home just two days per week.
IT and technology based companies are slowly making the conceptual transition to accept the obvious: saving money and the environment is good. As the CIO, CEO, or IT leader of your company, look at this opportunity quickly. In five years, every company that can will allow employees to telecommute. Bob Hirsch has predicted $500 per barrel of crude oil within the next 3-5 years. That would put a heavy strain on the profits of every industry and the global economy.
Thinking ahead, any organization that can quickly make the switch to telecommuting can get a jump on the masses and come out on top as an environmental thought leader. Other benefits include:
- Higher employee satisfaction
- Less money spent on employee salaries
- Less money spent by employees on fuel and car maintenance
- Excellent material for PR and online reputation enhancement
- Contributing to the conservation of fuel
- Established environmental thought leadership in the industry
There will be some bumps and bruises along the way. Most objections to telecommuting revolve around organizational structure and production accountability. Employee production is a legitimate concern, but one that can be creatively overcome by the company focused on becoming a trend setter and thought leader.
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