Find Out How To Make Virtual Work From Home Eco-Friendly
Virtual Work From Home Goes Green– Now that could mean a lot of things, right? Maybe they just fell off a turnip truck, maybe they are envious of your new office furniture…or maybe, just maybe…they are among the 2.9 million US workers who do virtual work from home that save 390 million gallons of gas and prevent the release of 3.6 million tons of greenhouse gas yearly by performing work activities remotely from home or wherever according to Telework Research Network (TRN).
Telecommuting is now a “given”. It is often considered a “must have” for anyone seeking a new job, be it at an entry level or at ‘c-level”. Employee demand for more flexible work environments and the need for global virtual teams have all contributed to the finding that approximately 30% of all workers in industrialized countries may work at home 2-3 days per week by 2019 (TechCast June 2013). Additionally real estate footprint reductions caused by rising lease costs could also add to the inherent popularity of organizations embracing the concept of virtual work from home. But whatever the reasons; there are clearly benefits beyond personal interest and company bottom lines.
Less known, less obvious, but importantly, according to TRN “energy saved annually from telecommuting could exceed the output of all renewable energy sources combined”. Now, not only are more families happy to see their loved ones home for dinner more often, so are the trees (benefiting from stay-at-home-workers that is).
Besides the benefit on the environment, there are also many benefits for organizations that let their employees do work from home. 53% of employers with remote workers report more productive employees (Yahoo Finance March 2013). It is also a useful perk for finding top level talent. 57% of employees say that the availability of flexible working in their workplace is important to them (UK Commission For Employment and Skills 2014). By offering work from home opportunities, businesses can attract the best talent for their organization.
We at AIM® say, embrace the redefined workplace, because the millennial you please today might be your boss tomorrow. Just kidding (sort of); no, because a virtual workplace is very possible in many positive ways. One caveat is that the virtual workplace has its own unique challenges that are not faced by traditional face-to-face teams. But never fear, we are always available to help you overcome these challenges and set you up for success.
