Promoting Sustainability Through A Flexible Workforce
The opportunity to work remotely increases employee productivity and happiness.
A sustainable workplace increases employee productivity by reducing work-related illnesses, injuries and accidents. A 2018 Gallup study revealed 85 percent of employees function below their potential and don’t feel engaged at work. A survey conducted by Connect Solutions reported that among those who worked remotely, both part-time and full-time, 77% stated they were more productive when working remotely; and 30% stated that they accomplished more in less time than when they worked in-house. In their 2019 State of Remote Work study, Owl labs found that full-time remote workers reported being happy in their jobs 22% more than workers who are never remote.
Not only are remote employees more productive and happier, they are better for the environment too.
Transportation, which includes vehicles used commuting to and from work, is the largest source of greenhouse gas emissions in the United States, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. By allowing employees to work from home, Gulf Winds (GWI) is reducing their environmental impact to the region.
Specifically, on average, GWI has 150 full-time employees that work from home 2.5 days per week. The average commute per employee is 20 miles per day. Which is approximately 3125 miles per year, per employee. Allowing these employees to work from home reduces environmental CO2 by 1.3 MT and saves each employee approximately 142 gallons of gasoline. In addition, each employee is also reducing the amount of congestion on local roads and highways by 3125 miles per employee.
In a larger context, if you multiply all these numbers by each employee, those 150 remote employees reduce regional CO2 by 189 MT, save 21,300 gallons of gasoline collectively, and remove 462,819 miles of congestion on roads and highways per year.
What’s good for the environment, is good for business.
It’s not easy to have a flexible workforce in the logistics industry. There are a lot of variables, daily, that impact the business, and many companies are working with a tight workforce. But it is possible. Gulf Winds has been successful incorporating flexibility by providing opportunities for employees to work remotely.
Want to learn how? Click here to read testimonials from Gulf Winds’ COO and CFO on the challenges and benefits of remote employees.