The savings are priceless for telecommuting parents
Do you have a whole workday before you get to your actual job? I know I do. It’s not easy getting everyone ready and where they need to be in the morning. It’s no picnic making arrangements for how everyone is going to get home at the end of the day either.
I just discovered a relatively new campaign to help stretched-thin working parents trying to juggle the responsibilities of work and home life. This week is the second annual National Telework Week, which was designed by Telework Exchange to show businesses and employees the financial and environmental benefits of working from home. And if you’re a parent, there are benefits for the well-being of you and your family, as well.
Sara Sutton Fell, CEO and founder of FlexJobs.com, writes on WorkingMother.com, “According to Telework Exchange, 2011’s participants “saved $2,730,229 on commuting costs, gained back 148,692 hours into their day, and removed 1,818 tons of pollutants from the air, while refraining from driving 3,764,001 miles.” All that from just one week spent telecommuting!”
While the environmental and financial aspects are great, telecommuters are often healthier and less stressed, leading to a more productive workday — a good selling point for the boss.
Fell said telecommuters are 11 percent to 15 percent more productive than office-bound employees and get an extra hour of sleep every night.
Did someone say an extra hour of sleep??
If that’s not a reason to campaign for either a part-time or full-time telecommuting schedule, I don’t know what is.
For more:
www.workingmother.com/blogs/workmom-news/work-home-national-telework-week-march-5-9
www.teleworkexchange.com/teleworkweek
See what your telecommuting savings could be:
www.teleworkexchange.com/calculators
Gretchen Day-Bryant has a son in high school and a daughter in middle school. She’s lived to tell about the struggles of juggling little kids and work.
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