Telecommuting 2.0

Robyn Greenspan, ExecuNet's Editor-in-Chief, recently wrote about telecommuting:

If you're already checking email from a mobile device, developing presentations on the weekends, and taking international calls during the night, why not take your remote accessibility one step further and regularly work from home? With technology advancing at the same pace that gas prices are increasing and environmental concerns are mounting, a couple of days per week at the home office can save time, money and the planet.

Back in 2006, when $10 bought roughly four gallons of regular gasoline, companies were already adjusting their benefits to accommodate for rising fuel prices. According to research conducted by WorldatWork through The Dieringer Research Group, 12.4 million Americans were allowed by employers to work from home at least one day per month — up from 9.9 million in 2005 — and a 2007 study from the Society for Human Resource Management (SHRM) revealed that more than half of surveyed employers offered some form of telecommuting option. If employees worked from home just one-and-a half days per week, research from the University of Maryland found a cost savings of $4.5 billion annually (based on gas at $3.33 per gallon).

Web 2.0 services like Skype and Ring Central for voice communications, Yugma for web conferencing, and SiteSpeed, Eyejot, and Ekko.TV for video make it easy to work virtually.