Home advantage

Canadian companies could save $50 billion a year by encouraging people to work at home, according to a recent telecommuting study. Vancouver digital media company MakeGood and San Diego think-tank Telework Research Network crunched the numbers using 2006 Canadian census data and more than 250 studies to assess the impact telecommuting could have on the Canadian environment, companies’ bottom lines and employees. It found only 7.7% of about 16 million Canadian workers currently telecommute, but 5.2 million more could. This would allow companies to save 46 million barrels of oil, avoid the production of nine million tons of greenhouse gas, gain access to a broader workforce, increase productivity, and enjoy reduced real-estate costs, absenteeism and turnover, the study finds.