New Study Quantifies Work-from-Home Savings for Earth Day

San Diego, CA, April 21, 2008 --(PR.com)-- An analysis of published research, released today, offers hope for Earth Day on April 22nd. The study shows that while less than 4% of the U.S. workforce currently work from home, 40% have jobs that would allow them to telecommute.

According to the study, new teleworkers could annually save 625 million barrels of oil, reduce greenhouse gase pollution by 107 million tons of CO2, and save almost $43 billion at the pumps. Each worker would save 26 work-days and over $800, time and money now wasted commuting.

The independent study by Kate Lister and Tom Harnish is part of an ongoing effort to quantify the costs and benefits of telecommuting for workers, employers, communities, and the nation. The work is part of their research for a forthcoming book titled Undress4Success: The Naked Truth About Working From Home about telework and home based business.

Earlier results, reported in January, revealed that increased telework could reduce Gulf oil imports by 80% while significantly reducing pollution. The authors have now added details available at http://undress4success.com/research for every city, county and state in the U.S.

Customized free analysis for reporters, government agencies, and companies who want to know the impact telework would have on their carbon footprint can be requested through the website.

"Research shows that if workers who telecommute it offers benefits for all concerned," says Lister, "but we wanted to put numbers behind the claim. While time saved not commuting means teleworkers could, in a sense, get a day off every other week, reports shows that people use that time productively instead."

According to Harnish, "While telework offers individuals who can work from home a better work/life balance, it also offers companies increases in productivity, higher satisfaction, and reduced costs. Telecommuting also offers the community less highway congestion, lower greenhouse gas pollution, and less dependence on foreign oil."

Kate Lister is a former banker, venture capital consultant, and business owner. Tom Harnish was a Consulting Scientist with Booz, Allen & Hamilton, and Senior Scientist for the Online Computer Library Center. Together they wrote Finding Money--The Small Business Guide To Financing and The Directory of Venture Capital, also published by John Wiley & Sons.

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