Nearly 50,000 Pledge to Telework Next Week

Traffic on your way to work is sure to be lighter next week, as nearly 50,000 Americans have pledged to telework.

Telework Exchange announced Thursday that more than 48,900 employees have said they will work remotely as part of its annual Telework Week event, which runs March 5-9. This year's Telework Week already has drawn significantly more participation than last year's event, when 39,694 employees promised to telework.

Collectively, these pledges will save $3.7 million in commuting costs and keep 2,200 tons of pollutants out of the air. If those making pledges were to telework for a full year, they would effectively save more than $185 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.

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.

Are you and/or your agency participating in Telework Week? To make your pledge, click here.