AeA Releases Report Strongly Endorsing Telework Initiatives
Telework Will Build a More Flexible Workforce and a Cleaner Environment

Washington, DC (April 22, 2008) – To coincide with Earth Day, AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, released a report endorsing telework, the practice of allowing employees to leverage information technologies to work remotely. The report, entitled Telework in the Information Age, is the 21st installment of AeA’s ongoing Competitiveness Series.

“Telework is a win-win-win situation,” said Christopher Hansen, President and CEO, AeA. “It is a win for employers, who see increased employee productivity, lower overhead costs, and greater access to workers. It is a win for workers, who can reduce long commute times and strike a better work-life balance. And most importantly, it is a win for the environment, as fewer commuters on the roads mean reduced fuel consumption, traffic congestion, and air pollution. For this last reason, we felt Earth Day was the ideal time to release this study and promote the efforts of both public officials and private sector companies to promote telework.”

The report cites evidence that 1.35 billion gallons of fuel worth $4.5 billion at current prices of $3.33 per gallon could be saved if everyone with the potential to telework did so just 1.6 days per week. The Environmental Protection Agency calculates that this much saved fuel would prevent 26 billion pounds of carbon dioxide from being released into the atmosphere.

Federal, state, and local governments have a role to play in promoting telework. As the largest employer in the country, the federal government can set an example to the private sector by offering telework programs, motivated in part by the need to maintain continuity of operations in response to a natural disaster or terrorist attack that would otherwise shut down the government. State and local governments will also find that telework is a cost cutting solution as it reduces the budgets for office space and public infrastructure improvements. These budgetary savings then allow governments to offer telework tax breaks to private sector employers, expanding the positive outcomes of telework in cities across the United States.

This report is sponsored in part by Intel. All installments of the AeA Competitiveness Series can be downloaded for free at: www.aeanet.org/cs.

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About AeA
AeA, the nation’s largest technology trade association representing all segments of the high-tech industry, is dedicated solely to helping our members’ top line and bottom line. We do this in partnership with our small, medium, and large member companies by lobbying governments at the state, federal, and international levels, providing access to capital and business opportunities, and offering select business services and networking programs. For more information, please visit www.aeanet.org.

This page was last updated on 04/22/08.