COG and Greater Washington Board of Trade push to reach 20 percent telecommuting goal for region

Business continuity being promoted as one of the benefits.

At a joint press conference yesterday, the Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments (COG) and the Greater Washington Board of Trade (BOT) announced a new effort to encourage 50,000 more commuters to telecommute by 2005. The programme, which is aimed at large employers and federal agencies includes free customised training programmes and free trials at telecommuting or "telework" centres, marks the first time that public and private organisations in the metropolitan Washington area have come together to promote telecommuting.

"Telework has progressed from the 'nice thing to do' to being essential to the vitality of this region," said Gerry Connolly, chair of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors and founder of the Washington Area Conference on Telework. "The task before us now is persuading businesses and federal agencies that telework is in their best interest - improving employee productivity, reducing absenteeism, bolstering the area's economy, in addition to the quality of life benefits such as reducing traffic congestion and air pollution."

Robert Peck, president of the Greater Washington Board of Trade, noted that teleworking has other business benefits. "Teleworking not only gets cars off the road and enhances quality of life, it provides firms with an important means of business continuity when a crisis or inclement weather occurs," he said.

www.commuterconnections.org

•Date: 11th February 2004 •Region: N.America •Type: Article •Topic: BC general
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