Time tracking blog

With gas prices hitting all-time record highs, many are considering alternative ways to reduce costs and conserve energy.  While most have to physically be at their jobs (manual labor, retail, etc), a large percentage of the workforce can attend their jobs virtually.  Not only does this save in commute time, it also can help significantly reduce fossil fuel consumption.

While telecommuting hasn’t always been possible, current technologies enable you to work virtually from almost anywhere that has an internet connection.  Technologies such as instant messaging, video conferencing, online document sharing and online time tracking have helped open the door to the virtual workplace.

Most employees will agree that not having to commute to work is a good thing, but how does this benefit the employer?  According to these survey results, the employer benefits from more productive (and happier) employees.  In fact, most employees are more productive at home than at the office.

While working from home may be more productive, it certainly is more energy efficient.  On average, most Americans travel approximately 50 miles each way to work, or 100 miles round trip.  If your vehicle gets 25 mpg, you use 4 gallons of fuel per day, or 80 gallons per month!  This doesn’t even count any other extra driving you do.

With the price of gas being $4 per gallon, this amounts to $320 spent on gas traveling back and forth to work per month.  While working from home every day might not be feasible for some, working from home one day per week can result in fuel savings of up to 16 gallons, or $64 per month.

How much can working from home one day a week reduce your carbon footprint? Considering that a gallon of gasoline produces 19.4 pounds of carbon dioxide, you can reduce your carbon footprint by 3,725 pounds a year!

So, if you’re an employee or employer alike, you should strongly consider the excellent benefits that can be achieved from telecommuting.

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