telecommute

Did you happen to catch the Today Show on NBC today? Well I did and they ran an over 4 minute segment on the Four-Day work week and telecommuting!

Stories were presented on employees being hit hard by these rising fuel costs – some saying that they are using up to one week’s pay out of the month’s pay for gasoline! Unbelievable isn’t it?

Because of these soaring costs, some businesses are taking notice and offering employees telecommuting and yes, some are offering a four-day work week. One company mentioned in the segment in particular, Lathem Corp is offering offers telecommuting, van pools, and four-day work weeks.

Benefits of telecommuting mentioned are increases in morale, loyalty, productivity. Some studies suggest that some companies are experiencing 10%-20% increases in productivity from telecommuting.

Matt Lauer interviewed John Challenger, CEO of Challenger, Gray and Christmas, the nations leading employment and consulting firm.

You can catch the full video here

Ok, I have to admit it. I heard the word “staycation” for the first time this weekend and became curious. Google already has 46,200 hits on “staycation”, this new media buzzword, and it will be interesting to see how much that hit count rises by the end of the summer. Perhaps we will see a big jump in this staycation search engine term even as soon as gas prices crosses that $4.00 mark in the majority of the country.

With the cost of fuel nearing $4.00 a gallon, fees for checked luggage and baggage, and the price of food increasing, are you looking for ways to save money on your vacation? Perhaps you are an overscheduled family and just need the downtime. Whatever the reason, many families are opting for a “staycation” this summer.

Staycation is the new buzzword that has been getting a lot of press recently. – a stay-at-home vacation, if you will. Basically, it means staying at or near home for vacation. Many families are opting to stay local for their vacation this year. More time spent at bbq’s, family gatherings, local swimming pools, or nearby attractions. Many retailers are banking on more families taking staycations too with the increased promotions of tents, grills, inflatable pools, patio and deck furniture.

According to a recent Newsweek article, almost 60 percent of Americans are skimping on their vacation expenditures due to soaring gas prices.

So, if you are planning a staycation this year, perhaps there are some local attractions that you haven’t visited ever (think Museum, local theater, nearby lake) or perhaps there are some that you haven’t visited in 5-10 years (think Zoo, Amusement Park). These can offer fun and relaxation. Sitting around a back yard fire pit making Hobo Pizza Pies and roasting marshmallows can offer almost as much fun as driving 3-4 hours to the closest campground doing the same thing - right?

One thing that won’t be missed is the repetitive “Are we there yet?”. Or will it?

I like to think of vacations as not only offering relaxation and fun, but also creating memories. Perhaps with the surge of these staycations, more emphasis will be placed on creating memories - realizing that it is who you are with that matters most, not where you’ve been?!

Source: Newsweek.com

2008-05-03 Everyone is talking about the environment these days. Going green. Companies are jumping on the bandwagon saying they are a “green” company. What I don’t understand is why more companies are not talking about telecommuting?! That would certainly help to save some of the precious resources of Planet Earth.

How would telecommuting help save our environment? Lots of ways. But a big one is fuel…the huge crisis that most everyone is facing nowadays with gas prices inching toward $4.00 a gallon. If more workers “could” perform their jobs at home one or even five days a week, imagine how much fuel that would save the earth (as well as put more cash in the workers’ pocket - but that’s a topic for an upcoming post so stay tuned. Additionally, huge office buildings that demand a lot of fuel in the winter to heat them would also reduce the fuel resources required. Allowing employees to telecommute is certainly a way for companies to say they are a “Green” company - a desirable and respected thing to be today!