Can and Should IT Staff Telework?

According to a recent Sun Microsystems study on eco responsibility, networks today consume more than 100 billion kilowatts of electricity and generate about $7.2 billion a year in utility bills. This same study notes that the employees who teleworked just 2.5 days a week saved $1,700 in gas and maintenance on their vehicles plus an average of 2.5 weeks of commuting time annually (from the Sun Microsystems’ Open Work Energy Measurement Project, an internal study that compares energy usage).

The U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that if employees teleworked just twice a week, the United States could save 9.7 billion gallons of gasoline; that’s $38.2 billion a year. If gas prices continue to rise, such as $6 a gallon (or more), teleworking may be the only responsible (and affordable) option for many thousands of employees.