Making the Case for Telework

Millions of people already telework – but we know that at least some of our readers are still on the inside, looking out and wondering how to get started with this new world of work. If you’re trying to figure out how to convince your manager to let you start doing at least some of your work remotely, surf on over to the Eligibility Gizmo at the Telework Exchange web site. This is a simple web form that asks a few questions and then calculates a score on a 0-100 scale to indicate how suited you are for teleworking.

You can also have them send you an e-mail with a summary of your score and the benefits of telework for your organization and community, so you have your talking points all neatly organized when you go in to your manager’s office to plead your case.

The Telework Exchange bases their evaluation on the U.S. federal guidelines, so some of the questions aren’t broadly applicable (most of us don’t need to worry about classified information, for instance). But the overall survey still hits the key indicators that make for good teleworking positions in and out of government jobs.

While you’re there, register for an account on the site and check out the commuting cost and telework savings calculators to figure out how many dollars and tons of pollutants telework can save you – or are already saving you. It’s nice to know that I’m keeping almost twelve tons of pollutants bottled up in my tailpipe by working at home these days.