Teleworkers who participated in Virginia’s Telework Day helped the commonwealth save some $113,000, avoid driving 140,000 miles and remove about 82 tons of pollutants from the air.

State drives to set ‘Telework Day’

Telework Day, according to Telework Exchange, was a joint project by the organization, Telework!VA and Virginia government officials to galvanize the state’s efforts around green initiatives, designed to both help the environment and reduce costs. Held August 3, the statewide effort proved that working remotely could yield benefits for employees, employers and even the environment, according to the results listed in the Telework Exchange’s report “What we saved; What we learned.”

According to the report, more than 4,051 employees in Virginia – and 216 in other states -- participated in the event, contributing to approximately $124,000 in savings. By taking cars off the road, participants avoided driving 155,782 miles and removed about 82 tons of pollutants from the air. Some 69% of the Virginia teleworkers reported accomplishing more than a “typical day in the office,” the report states. And Telework Exchange says that teleworking one day per week could deliver up to $2,000 in annual savings for each teleworker.

“From environmental concerns and economic pressures to making jobs available in rural areas and increasing productivity, telework is a critical tool for Virginia, its employees and its organizations,” said Cindy Auten, general manager of Telework Exchange.

The “Telework Day’ campaign built on Virginia Governor Timothy Kaine’s June 2009 executive order to reduce energy consumption and increase efficiencies at branch agencies and institutions. The state government hoped Telework Day will prompt private employers to also offer telework programs to their employees.

“The results are clear – telework plays an important role in meeting the Commonwealth’s green objectives, reducing strain and traffic on our roads, increasing savings for our employees, and will provide our businesses with increased employee productivity,” said Kaine, in a statement.