The Key Advantages of Telecommuting

At this point, we all know that there are many benefits of working from home. People who telecommute report higher job satisfaction, lower stress levels and often exhibit more motivation to get their work done. And now it turns out that being able to work from home is also better for the environment.

We're not just talking about a few people logging in remotely on their computers a few times per week—nearly 3 million Americans are now working at least half-time from home on an ongoing basis! In fact, the number of people who do so has tripled since 2000 and is expected to increase by 40% in the next ten years.

As a result, the impact of telecommuting is significant. Researchers from the University of California recently studied data from 15,000 commuters who live in seven major US cities (Boston, Chicago, New York City, Austin, San Francisco, Seattle and Minneapolis) and found that home-based workers put out 20% fewer carbon emissions due to their choice of getting to work in a different way. It may not sound like a huge amount on its own (and it's worth noting that as people telecommute more they tend to drive more), but every little bit helps when it comes to climate change.

Why is telecommuting good for the environment?

Working from home lets people cut back on their total number of car trips, which results in fewer emissions. In order to get to and from work, people who commute via car typically have to make at least one round trip per day—and if they work an eight-hour shift that adds up to 16 miles' worth of driving. Telecommuters are able to reduce their total number of car trips by working four days per week and doing the bulk of their errands on the weekends, rather than having to drive back and forth every single day. They also tend to adjust their schedules to avoid driving in rush hour, which leads to fewer emissions.

Telecommuters can also eliminate the emissions they would have produced if they had a long distance commute. Since most of them work from home, they're able to live closer to where they work, typically reducing their commuting time as well as the amount of fuel they expend driving there and back. This has a greater impact on emissions than simply cutting back on car trips—a study from Cornell University found that if all workers chose to commute by public transportation instead of private vehicle, it would reduce carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions by 6%.

How does telecommuting help the environment?

In addition to cutting down on the amount of fuel they consume, telecommuters are also able to reduce their second-hand car emissions by taking advantage of public transportation, riding a bike or carpooling. A study from UC Davis also found that employees who used alternative commuting methods were 33% more likely to be highly satisfied with their jobs than those who drove alone. These commuters also tended to have lower stress levels and found it easier to deal with interpersonal conflict. The same study also found that people who ride bikes for transportation had a better sense of physical wellbeing than those who do not.

Could telecommuting actually make climate change worse?

Despite the positive environmental impact of telecommuting, there are those who worry that it will have the opposite effect. For example, some people have suggested that hiring people to work at home will lead to an increased number of commuters on the road. As telecommuters in smaller towns become more prevalent, businesses might relocate closer to where they can get a "virtual" workforce rather than hiring local staff. This could actually result in an increase in emissions as people drive further away from their homes and workplaces to get to work each day.

There is also some concern over all the extra energy needed to power computers, internet connections, printers and other technological equipment that telecommuters need. However, researchers at Arizona State University found that these virtual offices actually result in a decrease in energy use. They studied data from 598 organizations across six cities and determined that the total amount of energy used by people who worked from home was lower than that of office workers by about 6%. Their results were confirmed by a study from UC Berkeley, which found that every employee who telecommuted saved about 245 kilowatt hours of electricity per year.

So does this mean the federal government should mandate telecommuting?

Well…no. For one thing, telecommuting primarily helps people who live in major cities. These are places where public transportation is readily available, biking is an option and people aren't too far away from their co-workers anyway. Yet most rural communities suffer from the opposite problem—limited transportation options, a dearth of public transportation and long distances between work, school and home. To make matters worse, many rural communities don't have broadband internet access, which makes it impossible for people to telecommute at all.

Even for those rural residents who want to work from home, it's not always possible to find a job that will accommodate their lifestyle. Employers for virtual positions tend to be spread out in different locations, which means many rural telecommuters would be forced to drive long distances in order to get from place to place.

Even if most people aren't able to work from home full-time, telecommuting can still help the environment by reducing traffic congestion and providing an extra incentive for businesses to get involved with green initiatives. It might not reduce carbon emissions by quite as much as other methods—according to a 2010 study by researchers at Carnegie Mellon University, telecommuting accounts for a mere 0.3% of the nation's CO2 emissions—but it can still provide a significant benefit.

In addition to reducing traffic congestion, telecommuting would also help local businesses cut down on labor costs—and a study from the Center for Sustainable Transportation at UCLA found that reducing the number of transportation trips would lead to 10% lower payroll costs. It would also allow employees to work when and where they have time instead of having to start their day at a certain hour, which could be a benefit to their overall health. Since employers who support telecommuting recognize these benefits, they're more likely to engage in sustainable practices that have a positive impact on both their bottom line and the environment.

What's the best way to get telecommuting policies to work for everyone?

As the popularity of telecommuting increases, states are taking diverse approaches to encouraging people to work at home. In a recent article in the Atlantic, author Sally Armstrong called these efforts a "patchwork quilt of state laws." Some make it easy to start a business from home, some require employers with more than five employees to pay into an account that can be used by telecommuters and some offer tax credits and other incentives. Some states also have laws that allow people who commute by plane or train to claim reduced commuting costs—even if they don't technically commute.

Conclusion

While telecommuting may seem like a simple solution to the problems faced by commuters, it's a lot more complicated than it seems. Telecommuting only accounts for a small percentage of the U.S. workforce, but it can still provide significant benefits to both employers and employees. If you don't have the option of telecommuting, however, you might not be able to get all the health benefits of living near work, which reduces your need for car ownership and may be enough to convince you to work at home full-time.