For many people, working from home is the dream, and for others, it’s just another day at the office. But cities are now beginning to view telecommuting and remote work as a viable way to combat traffic congestion and harmful emissions. he ease of working from home and the rise in telecommuting trends worldwide are due in part to the way digital platforms are reshaping everything from how we communicate, to how we work, how we stay informed, and how we connect with others. Freelancing, contract work, and telecommuting have become so popular that you can find office spaces for rent specifically for freelancers and contract work. The nature of office work, office spaces, and the traditional nine to five are changing to keep up with the digital age. With fewer commuters, there are fewer cars, so that must reduce
emissions, right? With so many emissions wrapped up in commuting to work, telecommuting, working from home and working from anywhere could serve as powerful tools to help reduce emissions and traffic. Emissions and traffic congestion aren’t the only way that working from home and working from anywhere benefits the environment. With fewer workers heading to traditional office spaces, it reduces energy demands for companies and office buildings. Not only could remote work reduce congestion during peak commuting hours but also it would expose fewer people to harmful air pollution, which has been shown to increase the risk of cardiovascular and respiratory disease and early death. When you add up the average fuel costs, commuting not only exacerbates traffic congestion and releases a record number of emissions each year, but the financial costs for drivers also take a toll. “So if you have a 20-mile commute to work, multiply it out: 40 miles each workday times 50 cents a mile,” Personal Finance Blogger Mr. Money told Reuters. “And there are 2,500 of those workdays in every decade, so that ‘not too bad’ commute is burning at least $50,000 every ten years.” Commutes are costly, both environmentally and economically speaking. Working from home, even for part of a workweek has the potential to drastically cut traffic congestion, reduce emissions, and improve employee productivity and happiness. Telecommuting just makes sense, especially with the nature of today’s changing global workforce.
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