Telework Could Save Businesses $400B

May 19, 2010 (PLANSPONSOR.com) - A report commissioned by Citrix Online found that virtual work policies could save U.S. businesses over $400 billion per year in increased productivity, lower office costs, and reduced absenteeism and staff turnover.

In addition to the cost savings for businesses, “Workshifting Benefits: The Bottom Line,” the report compiled by the Telework Research Network (TRN), cites the benefits for individuals, the environment and the nation as a whole.   

TRN’s Savings Calculator is based on data that shows 40% of American workers could work from home at least some of the time and of those, 79% would choose to if given the opportunity. If those people worked from home just half of the time a company of 100 people could gain approximately $576,000 per year and the U.S. economy as a whole would gain $235 billion in increased productivity, according to a news release.   

U.S. business would save an additional $124 billion in office costs, $46 billion in reduced absenteeism, and $31 billion in reduced employee turnover, the report indicates.   

In addition, each employee could save an average of $362 on gas per year, plus $3,840 on related expenses such as parking, food, and clothing. Individuals could recoup approximately two weeks of free time per year otherwise spent commuting.   

The report contends employee gas savings would reduce U.S. greenhouse gas emissions by about 53 million metric tons — the equivalent of taking over 9.6 million cars off the road — and it would save $23 billion a year in imported oil, which equates to approximately 288 million barrels of oil. U.S. taxpayers could save $2 billion in highway maintenance costs.

In addition, as a nation, the U.S. would save $11 billion in traffic accident costs.   

A full version of the report is available at http://www.workshifting.com.

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