Input: HOME WORKING
Work smart at
home and
see the benefits
Are the days of the office numbered? Maybe not yet, but The cost of commuting
an increasing number of firms are allowing their employees
to work from home via computer video links. The effects, The impact a corporation has on the environment extends beyond
according to the Tandberg company, a global leader in visual the direct actions that the company might take. Employees that
communications, are extremely beneficial, both to profit commute to work are doing this in their “own time” but obviously
margins and the environment. this activity is being driven by employment at the company. Fuel
costs are rising and commuting distances are getting longer
O
rganisations around the world are becoming more as employees move farther from their workplace. In addition,
environmentally conscious. This has come about for a geographically dispersed work teams, increasingly complex supply
number of reasons, including government regulation and chains, and globalisation have all lead to increased business
incentives, initiatives to improve quality of life for employees, and travel. As a result, direct costs and harmful CO2 emissions from
customer demand. Whatever the motivation, the reduction of transportation are rising.
pollutants introduced into the ecosystem would be welcomed by all.
This is especially true when reducing pollutants also reduces costs. In Europe commuting times are greater than those of the US, with
the United Kingdom having the worst commute in the European
By its very nature, videoconferencing is a “green” technology with a Union. British commuters have the longest journeys to work, with
wide range of benefits for corporations, individual employees, and the the average trip taking 45 minutes. That is almost twice as long as
community at large. Video can be an essential tool for developing an the commute faced by Italians and seven minutes more than the
integrated environmental program that raises employee satisfaction, European Union average.
reduces costs, and increases productivity and shareholder value. One
innovative way for environmentally conscious companies to realise With fuel costs moving above a1.40 per litre in the UK, the cost of
measurable return on their video investment is to develop an effective commuting is becoming a strain on the EU worker. It is also a strain
“home working” programme. on the environment. At an average commuting distance of 13.7
miles each way, and an average highway mileage of 28.4 mpg, the
How to get an eight-day week? Save one hour each workday by commuting fuel consumption in Europe is more than one gallon each
not commuting to the office day per employee. The environmental impact for each commuter is the
release of approximately 3,800lbs of CO2 into the atmosphere.
As flexible home working programmes are on the rise, video has
become an essential tool for home-based employees who want to The benefits of home working
maintain a visual connection with their workplace. What’s more, their
companies appreciate the reduction in cost and increase in worker As a result of rising commute times, fuel costs, and environmental
productivity gained through home working. For the tens of thousands impact, many companies worldwide are initiating home working
of companies worldwide that already have videoconferencing solutions programs. In the year 2000, 30 percent of all organisations in Europe
installed, extending the benefit to home workers is the natural next step practiced home working on a regular basis, according to a report on
in technology adoption. For companies that have been seeking a way to Electronic Commerce and Telework Trends. All indications are that this
jump-start home working/flexible working programmes, implementing a number is rising. In the United Kingdom, for example, home worker
video network is an effective way to realise tangible benefits right away. numbers rose from 921,000 (4 per cent of workers) in 1997 to 1.8
million in 2005 (8 per cent of all workers).
The socially responsible organisation
According to the International Telework Association, the
In many countries, companies are expected to articulate a corporate number of employed Americans who worked from home
statement on industrial environmental protection and to take specific at least one day each week grew from 41.3 million in
action to put this credo into practice. Image campaigns, product 2003 to 44.4 million in 2004, a 7.5 per cent growth rate.
advertising, and annual reports all emphasise environmental protection
as a distinguishing feature of market-oriented companies. Business Technology advances such as high-speed internet, VoIP, and
partners (customers, suppliers, employees, stockholders, etc.) collaboration tools such as e-mail, Instant Messenger, and Web and
and a critical general public all take an increasingly hard look at video conferencing, make it possible for an employee to stay connected
companies’ processes and the consistency of their commitment to without physically being in an office.
the environment.
43 | ecoexecutive
TANDBERG.indd 43 18/4/08 15:51:54
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