The Telework Exchange released a press release yesterday urging all D.C. area organizations to allow employees to telecommute on the 20th! Wouldn’t it be interesting to have a nation-wide call to see just how many people could actually telecommute on the 20th, track traffic and calculate the amount of fuel saved that day? Here’s the Telework Exchange’s news release. . .
Telework to Relieve D.C. Commuters’ Aches During Inauguration
Telework Exchange Calls for Local Organizations to Reduce Traffic and Maintain Productivity by Teleworking
ALEXANDRIA, Va., January 6, 2009 – Telework ExchangeSM, a public-private partnership focused on expanding telework, today calls for Washington, D.C. area organizations and employees to telework during the 2009 Presidential Inauguration. With up to 4 million people expected in the Washington, D.C. region for the inaugural events, local commuters can expect gridlocked roadways and transit systems. As the area prepares for the surge in traffic, organizations must look for ways to maintain business operations. Telework is a readily-available remedy to the Washington area’s aches.
A perfect storm is driving telework in every major industry and across government. Telework reduces area congestion and pollution as well as maintains business continuity, work/life balance, and productivity. Further, organizations can use this opportunity to test continuity of operations (COOP) plans to ensure that their employees and infrastructure are equipped to work in remote environments.
“Encouraging telework not only reduces strain on our transportation infrastructure, but it also supports work/life balance – an issue that is important to President-elect Obama,” said Cindy Auten, general manager, Telework Exchange. “From improved COOP to employee retention, productivity, and green initiatives, telework is a proven success. It’s time to show that organizations are supporting work/life balance, a clean environment, and are committed to reducing our dependency on oil.”
Telework Exchange offers an online community to help organizations and employees start teleworking. The community includes telework calculators, an online telework eligibility gizmo, as well as telework-related research and news. Available at www.teleworkexchange.com, the Telework Exchange value calculators tally the potential cost savings and environmental benefits associated with telework. The calculators empower employees to understand their personal cost of commuting – as a raw figure and a percentage of after-tax income – as well as to understand how many tons of pollutants they are pumping into the environment each day as they travel to and from work. The online telework eligibility gizmo is a quiz-based calculator that helps employees determine telework eligibility.
About Telework Exchange, LLC
Telework Exchange is a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework and serving the emerging educational and communication requirements of the Federal teleworker community. The organization facilitates communication among Federal teleworkers, telework managers, and IT professionals. For more information on Telework Exchange, please visit www.teleworkexchange.com.
Telework to Relieve D.C. Commuters’ Aches during Inauguration (PDF) – January 6, 2009
Telework Exchange is a great website. Just imagine the amount of gas that could be saved if every company allowed one day a week or even a month for workers to telecommute.