IBM Letting Up to 20% of Workforce Telecommute

ibm telecommute empty office cubicle space photo
Photo via David Boyle

Telecommuting has been considered a green option for employers for awhile now. It saves on energy costs and can result in happier employees. IBM has begun letting its employees telecommute, and the latest word is that within the next six months, as much as 20% of the workforce will be taking care of business from their home offices.

Speaking at the Green IT event at Bangalore, Dravida Seetharam, Vice President-Government Programs, IBM told to IT Examiner that in next five to six months about 15-20 per cent of its workforce would work from home. He said, “We would provide more communication and networking facilities to the employees. It would also be a good option of providing higher salary packages in compensation of the energy–savings done on their part.”

The sales and marketing divisions will be the first groups eyeballed for who can work from home, but any area that needs mobility can potentially telecommute. This means a possible 10% energy savings for the company.

Not all businesses are as keen on letting employees work from home, but with the budget crunch, a cheaper way to host a workforce might gain appeal, even if it is for one or two days a week.

Via IT Examiner

More on Telecommuting:
How to Convince Your Boss You Can (and Should) Work From Home
Telecommuting is Green and Saves Money, but Most Employers still Resist it
Phone It In: Make Telecommuting Part of Your Working Routine
Join the 45 Million Americans Who Work From Home