The Case for Telecommuting

I was reviewing our family's monthly budget this morning and comparing it to budgets in past years. One thing that stuck out to me is that despite the increase in gas prices, I was spending less per month on gas than I did four years ago.

I came to another conclusion in reviewing the budget. I have been able to earn more income and charge clients less in the process. I am able to spend more time with my wife and 2-year old son. When the weather is bad or I have a sickness that would prevent me from going to the office, I can still have an effective work day. My dry cleaning bill is considerably less per month. How am I able to do this? I am one of the 2% of US workers that telecommute full-time.

The federal government understands what is at stake here. Surprisingly, they are ahead of the curve on encouraging employees to work from home. They have set up a website to promote the benefits of telework: http://telework.gov

Reuters released an estimate that 25% of the US workforce could telecommute- perform their jobs from home. If 25% of the workforce would work from home just two days per week, the savings in gasoline per year would be over $4 billion. Imagine how much better traffic would be in your city if you eliminated 1 out of every 4 cars from the road each day?

I believe there is a stewardship issue at heart here. We need to ask the question: how can I consume less? There may not be easy apparent answers. But if you keep asking the question, God will reveal some solutions over time. The steward's motto should always be: how can I become more frugal towards myself and more generous to others?

I routinely talk to friends who tell me that they spend over 2 hours per day in the car commuting. That is a lot of time per day that can be spent on more productive areas. There are many studies that indicate telecommuters are more effective in their work and are able to achieve greater life/work balance.

Are you able to telecommute? If you are self-employed, you should give it serious consideration. Do your clients really care if you have an office?

If you are working for an employer, there is a helpful article on how to propose the idea:
http://www.quintcareers.com/telecommuting_options.html

I am reminded of the truth of Ecclesiastes 7:29, "God has made man upright (simple), but they have sought out many schemes (complexities)." We often make life more complicated than it has to be.

For His Glory,

Ashley Hodge