Business Opportunities Weblog

June 10, 2008 by Rich Whittle | 1 Comment

Associated Press:

Brent Cranfield can thank his boss for saving him money at the pump.

With gas prices so high, Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson is letting staffers telecommute one day a week this summer. For Cranfield, who works in the communications office, that means one less trip each week in his Ford Explorer from suburban Marietta to downtown Atlanta and back _ saving more than $25 a month on his 16- to 17-mile commute.

Some employers are reconsidering the traditional five-days-in-the-office pattern as the national average price for a gallon of gas hovers around $4. The idea is to whittle down commuting costs for workers by allowing them to work from home or switch to four days of 10 hours each.

Telecommuting has gained traction year by year with advances in video conferencing, instant messaging and other communications technologies. Employers typically adopt it as a way to save money, boost morale and retain workers.

But Chuck Wilsker of The Telework Coalition said it has grown faster since the post-Hurricane Katrina gas price spike of 2005. And he believes prices have climbed so high now that managers _ who must grant workers permission to telecommute _ are feeling the pinch too.

“It’s affecting people’s disposable income,” Wilsker said. “And all of the sudden they’re saying ‘I’ve got to do something about this!’”

The coalition estimates that more than 26 million Americans now telecommute at least some days, which would be about 18 percent of people employed nationwide.

Photo by kasko.

In Automobile, Employees, Telecommuting | 1 Comment