Are You Working Greener?
Environmentalists have been talking about global warming; going green; green recycling; green businesses; green commuting; environmentally-friendly green construction. Yes, we're living in the age of "green this and green that." I'm sure you agree that it's important for us to be good care-takers of our planet.
A unique trend in business has emerging as the internet continues to grow from its infancy.
Today, with a stable communication platform, employees are working remotely from home. Advanced video streaming over the internet allow for flexible online meetings with coworkers and clients. However, notice some environmental benefits that come from hiring and managing employees remotely. This has the potential of making a substantial contribution to the green movement.
• Assuming an average family own two vehicle. The gas mileage is 28 miles per gallon with a daily commute of 30 miles. Your family would emit 41,500 pounds of carbon into the atmosphere per year! So if you hired an office staff that worked remotely you would SAVE an incredible amount of carbon emissions per year.
Source: Environmental Protection Agency emissions calculator: http://www.epa.gov.
• Calculating the paper usage of a typical office may vary. But according to ForestEthics.org, 40% of the world's logging goes into making paper. It's expected to reach 50% in the near future. With stable technology, ATT, IBM and Google are major players in online cloud storage which is considered a green alternative to paper. Using less paper requires less ink and cartridges. With the internet and working remotely as a team, again, its "win-win" situation.
As you can see, working and hiring remotely makes a significant impact on our planet by reducing our carbon footprint. As the world's technology continues to improve, remote flexible office arrangements will continue to transform our thinking of the traditional nine to five office space. Are you working greener?
