Telecommuting increases productivity. Is it for you?

Studies show it helps increase employee productivity. Plus, it saves employers and employees time and money. And, it leads to greenhouse gas reductions.

Let’s start with productivity. In 2009, Cisco announced the findings of their survey, an in-depth study of about 2,000 employees, and found that productivity due to telecommuting generated about $277 million in annual savings for the company. Employees also reported improved quality of life, improved collaboration, and greater timeliness of work.

Moving on to saving time and money, an area where employees report fewer distractions and only attending meetings critical to their job. And, with fewer office-based employees, you need less office space. Plus, when hiring new employees, you can eliminate re-location expenses. According to Global Workplace Analytics, IBM slashed real estate costs by $50 million and Nortel saves about $100,000 per employee they don’t have to re-locate.

Lastly, telecommuting helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions. It’s great for our earth, and that means it’s good for all of us. Maybe you’re wondering how letting employees telecommute reduces the carbon dioxide in the air. It’s based on the number of miles one drives (or doesn’t because they’re telecommuting). I save an estimated $2,800 a year by telecommuting one day a week and reduce greenhouse gases by about 2,200 pounds.