Brent Cranfield telecommutes from his home in Marietta one day a week saving 30 or 40 miles on his car once a week. Their office uses videoconferencing, instant messaging and other communications technology, which as helped workers stay connected. (Stanley Leary / Associated Press)
Brent Cranfield can thank his boss for saving him money at the pump.
Because gas prices are so high, Georgia House Speaker Glenn Richardson is letting staffers telecommute one day a week this summer. For Cranfield, who works in the communications office, that means one less trip each week in his Ford Explorer from suburban Marietta to downtown Atlanta and back -- saving more than $25 a month on his 16- to 17-mile commute.
Cranfield plans to use the savings to help buy a more-fuel-efficient car:
"I'm actually waiting for the '09 Camrys to come out so I can try to grab an '08 and get some of that initial sticker price taken off of it."
Some employers are reconsidering the traditional five-days-in-the-office pattern as the national average price for a gallon of gas hovers around $4. The idea is to whittle down commuting costs for workers by allowing them to work from home or switch to four days of 10 hours each.
Telecommuting has gained traction year by year with advances in videoconferencing, instant messaging and other communications technologies. Employers typically adopt it as a way to save money, boost morale and retain workers.
But Chuck Wilsker of The Telework Coalition said it has grown faster since the post-Hurricane Katrina gas price spike of 2005. And he believes prices have climbed so high now that managers who must grant workers permission to telecommute -- are feeling the pinch, too.
"It's affecting people's disposable income," Wilsker said. "And all of the sudden they're saying 'I've got to do something about this!"
The coalition estimates that more than 26 million Americans now telecommute at least some days; that would be about 18 percent of people employed nationwide.
But employers have traditionally been leery of changes that could leave the office empty on Friday, and that is why the Georgia House employees must stagger their tele commuting days. Another fear is that employees will slack off -- either because they're at home or working long stretches.
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(The Associated Press)
