Telework Week Is 60,000 Strong (And Counting)

Traffic on your way to work may be lighter this week -- unless you are skipping the commute to join more than 60,000 Americans who have pledged to telework.

By Friday afternoon, 62,322 employees said they would work remotely as part of Telework Exchange's annual Telework Week, which runs March 5-9. This year's Telework Week event already has drawn significantly more participation than last year's, when 39,694 employees promised to telework.

Collectively, these pledges will save $4.7 million in commuting costs and keep nearly 3,000 tons of pollutants out of the air. If those making pledges were to telework for a full year, they would effectively save more than $230 million, the Telework Exchange estimates.

Cindy Auten, general manager at Telework Exchange, said last month that many agencies are using Telework Week to test their business continuity plans, particularly since the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act was signed into law. "I think that this will be a good test for agencies to see how prepared they are without having the next Snowmageddon," she said, referring to major snowstorms that brought much of the East Coast to a halt in 2010.

Telework Week participants also can check in on FourSquare, where they can share telework tips, post pictures of their Telework Week home office location, and engage with other Telework Week participants to learn about their experiences and recommendations.

To make your pledge, click here.