The Emerald Office: Eco-Friendly Workforce Strategies Kendall College May 18, 2009
Kyra Cavanaugh President, Life Meets Work --a consultancy and online community that helps organizations drive bottom line results by implementing and optimizing flexible workforce strategies. Flexible worker for last 10 years (telecommuting, part-time, contract, compressed work weeks).  Currently manages a virtual team. Career in consumer packaged goods for nearly 20 years:  Quaker, Keebler, Dominick’s Finer Foods, Willard Bishop Consulting  Member of Workplace Excellence Committee, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and spearheading flexible workforce project with the Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor.  Speaker at upcoming 2009 Illinois State SHRM Conference and recently honored as a finalist in the AWLP Work-Life Rising Star awards. ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Goals for this workshop My goal: To demonstrate how flexible workforce strategies support green and corporate sustainability goals To discuss practical ways to implement and optimize flex work programs  What is your goal for today? ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Going Green & Corporate Sustainability  Green: Reduce consumption Reduce environmental footprint Make better choices Corporate Sustainability: Goes beyond environmental to social and governance policies  Short term earnings gains aren’t enough, must act in ways that benefit the community,  shareholders, employees and the environment for long term survival Outperformed the stock market average by 25% from 2005-2007.* 72% outperformed their peers during the same period.* ©Life Meets Work, 2009 *Goldman Sachs, 2007
Alternative Workforce Strategies Alternative Workforce Strategies (AWS) = Flexible Work Part-time Condensed workweeks Teleworking Alternative Shift Scheduling Flex start and end times Summer hours Job sharing ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Impact of alternative workforce strategies AWS significantly impacts the environment: Telecommuting reduces: CO2 emissions  Reduction of 2 metric tons/worker/yr* 50 million teleworkers could save 100M metric tons** Fossil fuel consumption Reduction in daily vehicle traffic by 53-77%*** Avg teleworker saves $870/yr on gas* 50 million teleworkers could save 587M barrels of oil** Use of commercial real estate ©Life Meets Work, 2009 *Sun Microsystems, 2008 **Study by Undress4success.com ***ITIF, 2009
Impact of alternative workforce strategies AWS significantly impacts the environment: Telecommuting reduces: Automobile replacement cycle Avg teleworker saves $906/yr in car wear and tear* Traffic congestion Enables more efficient trucking system which lowers emissions and delivery costs  “ Reduced travel” policies: Virtual Meetings-teleconferencing/webconferencing Worldwide reduction of more than 3B tons of CO2 emissions could be result of virtual meetings and telework alone by 2050*** ©Life Meets Work, 2009 *Sun Microsystems, 2008 ***WWF, 2009
Impact of alternative workforce strategies AWS significantly impacts the environment: Less commercial real estate reduces: Raw materials (lumber, metals, etc) Energy consumption: Savings of 5400 kwh/year for someone working 2.1 days from home Water consumption CO2 emissions Waste  ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Case Studies State of Utah Implemented a four-day workweek in Summer, 2008 Cut energy use by 13% across 900 govt office buildings Now energy specialists are looking for inefficiencies to save more Challenge:  how to turn massive HVAC systems off on Fridays Fairfax, Virginia Increased to 20% of Fairfax public employees using AWS and reduced traffic in the county by 6% Microsoft  Reduced business travel by 10% per employee in 2008 Saved $92M and 17,000 metric tons of CO2 ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Sun Microsystems’ Open Work program 14 year old program Over 56% of workforce works away at least 2 days/wk Reduced real estate holdings 15% in 2007 Saves over $70M/yr in real estate costs, Reduced 31,000 tons of greenhouse gases (23%) between 2002-2007 Wants to reduce another 20% by 2015 60% of time spent commuting is now given back in the form of work Telecommuters score higher on performance ratings than onsite peers 85% of employees would recommend Sun as an employer Case Studies ©Life Meets Work, 2009
AWS sustains corporate performance Ten ways: Increased productivity Increased customer satisfaction/retention and service levels Increased employee retention/engagement Reduced absenteeism rates “ Employer of Choice” recruitment and retention strategy Employees closer to customer locations Disability accommodation Supports work/life initiatives Business continuity/disaster planning  Supports community by offering flexibility for working caregivers ©Life Meets Work, 2009
AWS sustains corporate performance 60% of teleworkers are less likely to look for another job.    --2008 Clean Air Campaign study 87% of employees and managers agreed telecommuters’ productivity improved or stayed the same.  --2008 Study by National Science Foundation Teleworkers were more engaged and had more favorable opinions of senior management.    --2008 study of 10,000 workers by Kenexa Research Institute ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Challenges Getting management buy-in Both C-suite and middle management Training managers Skills are the same for flex or onsite teams, but requires training to improve Changing tradition Managers learned to manage this way and resist change Adapting to performance management It’s about “what” work gets done, not “how” it gets done Investing in technology and training Not all employees are tech-savvy Systems and infrastructure may require investment ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Don’t tell people how to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Setting up a flexible work team Two ways to do it: Approach A: Create a proposal and offers flexible work options to eligible team members. Offer a pilot program for 3 to 6 months with an evaluation, and option for ongoing arrangement. Approach B: Allow entire organization, department, team to work flexibly. Team establishes and agrees to rules and  signs a Virtual Work Agreement that is reviewed and renewed every six months.  ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Managing a flexible work team Key Components: Execute a Virtual Teams Agreement Realize management style influences outcome Create a sense of place Communicate deliberately Set goals and track performance Choose the right people ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Offer for today’s attendees Flexible work consultation Drop your card with Kyra after the event today. Schedule free one-hour phone consultation with Kyra Cavanaugh, Flexible Workplace Expert and President of Life Meets Work by June 1, 2009   We'll discuss your workforce challenges and opportunities, the current state of your flex work program,  or your interest in starting one.   At the end, you'll walk away with at least three pieces of actionable advice and no further obligation.   Just call 888-462-5691 or email  [email_address] ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Research From Workplace to Anyplace ,  WWF with a grant from Microsoft Corporation, 2009 http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2009/WWFBinaryitem11939.pdf Improving Quality of Life Through Telecommuting,  ITIF,  2009 http://www.itif.org/files/Telecommuting.pdf  A New Mindset for Corporate Sustainability ,  2007 http://www.biggerthinking.com/docs/en/a_new_mindset_white_paper.pdf ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Additional Resources Co-working sites:  See list at blog.coworking.info Regus-individual and corporate subscriptions For more information about virtual teams: lifemeetswork.com telework.gov teleworkexchange.com Resources from Sun Microsystems www.sun.com/aboutsun/openwork/ http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/openwork/managing_virtual_world.pdf   ©Life Meets Work, 2009
Contact Us Kyra Cavanaugh President, Life Meets Work lifemeetswork.com 888-462-5691 [email_address] ©Life Meets Work, 2009

Eco Friendly Workplace Handouts

  • 1.
    The Emerald Office:Eco-Friendly Workforce Strategies Kendall College May 18, 2009
  • 2.
    Kyra Cavanaugh President,Life Meets Work --a consultancy and online community that helps organizations drive bottom line results by implementing and optimizing flexible workforce strategies. Flexible worker for last 10 years (telecommuting, part-time, contract, compressed work weeks). Currently manages a virtual team. Career in consumer packaged goods for nearly 20 years: Quaker, Keebler, Dominick’s Finer Foods, Willard Bishop Consulting Member of Workplace Excellence Committee, Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce, and spearheading flexible workforce project with the Women’s Bureau, U.S. Department of Labor. Speaker at upcoming 2009 Illinois State SHRM Conference and recently honored as a finalist in the AWLP Work-Life Rising Star awards. ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 3.
    Goals for thisworkshop My goal: To demonstrate how flexible workforce strategies support green and corporate sustainability goals To discuss practical ways to implement and optimize flex work programs What is your goal for today? ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 4.
    Going Green &Corporate Sustainability Green: Reduce consumption Reduce environmental footprint Make better choices Corporate Sustainability: Goes beyond environmental to social and governance policies Short term earnings gains aren’t enough, must act in ways that benefit the community, shareholders, employees and the environment for long term survival Outperformed the stock market average by 25% from 2005-2007.* 72% outperformed their peers during the same period.* ©Life Meets Work, 2009 *Goldman Sachs, 2007
  • 5.
    Alternative Workforce StrategiesAlternative Workforce Strategies (AWS) = Flexible Work Part-time Condensed workweeks Teleworking Alternative Shift Scheduling Flex start and end times Summer hours Job sharing ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 6.
    Impact of alternativeworkforce strategies AWS significantly impacts the environment: Telecommuting reduces: CO2 emissions Reduction of 2 metric tons/worker/yr* 50 million teleworkers could save 100M metric tons** Fossil fuel consumption Reduction in daily vehicle traffic by 53-77%*** Avg teleworker saves $870/yr on gas* 50 million teleworkers could save 587M barrels of oil** Use of commercial real estate ©Life Meets Work, 2009 *Sun Microsystems, 2008 **Study by Undress4success.com ***ITIF, 2009
  • 7.
    Impact of alternativeworkforce strategies AWS significantly impacts the environment: Telecommuting reduces: Automobile replacement cycle Avg teleworker saves $906/yr in car wear and tear* Traffic congestion Enables more efficient trucking system which lowers emissions and delivery costs “ Reduced travel” policies: Virtual Meetings-teleconferencing/webconferencing Worldwide reduction of more than 3B tons of CO2 emissions could be result of virtual meetings and telework alone by 2050*** ©Life Meets Work, 2009 *Sun Microsystems, 2008 ***WWF, 2009
  • 8.
    Impact of alternativeworkforce strategies AWS significantly impacts the environment: Less commercial real estate reduces: Raw materials (lumber, metals, etc) Energy consumption: Savings of 5400 kwh/year for someone working 2.1 days from home Water consumption CO2 emissions Waste ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 9.
    Case Studies Stateof Utah Implemented a four-day workweek in Summer, 2008 Cut energy use by 13% across 900 govt office buildings Now energy specialists are looking for inefficiencies to save more Challenge: how to turn massive HVAC systems off on Fridays Fairfax, Virginia Increased to 20% of Fairfax public employees using AWS and reduced traffic in the county by 6% Microsoft Reduced business travel by 10% per employee in 2008 Saved $92M and 17,000 metric tons of CO2 ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 10.
    Sun Microsystems’ OpenWork program 14 year old program Over 56% of workforce works away at least 2 days/wk Reduced real estate holdings 15% in 2007 Saves over $70M/yr in real estate costs, Reduced 31,000 tons of greenhouse gases (23%) between 2002-2007 Wants to reduce another 20% by 2015 60% of time spent commuting is now given back in the form of work Telecommuters score higher on performance ratings than onsite peers 85% of employees would recommend Sun as an employer Case Studies ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 11.
    AWS sustains corporateperformance Ten ways: Increased productivity Increased customer satisfaction/retention and service levels Increased employee retention/engagement Reduced absenteeism rates “ Employer of Choice” recruitment and retention strategy Employees closer to customer locations Disability accommodation Supports work/life initiatives Business continuity/disaster planning Supports community by offering flexibility for working caregivers ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 12.
    AWS sustains corporateperformance 60% of teleworkers are less likely to look for another job. --2008 Clean Air Campaign study 87% of employees and managers agreed telecommuters’ productivity improved or stayed the same. --2008 Study by National Science Foundation Teleworkers were more engaged and had more favorable opinions of senior management. --2008 study of 10,000 workers by Kenexa Research Institute ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 13.
    Challenges Getting managementbuy-in Both C-suite and middle management Training managers Skills are the same for flex or onsite teams, but requires training to improve Changing tradition Managers learned to manage this way and resist change Adapting to performance management It’s about “what” work gets done, not “how” it gets done Investing in technology and training Not all employees are tech-savvy Systems and infrastructure may require investment ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 14.
    Don’t tell peoplehow to do things, tell them what to do and let them surprise you with their results. George S. Patton ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 15.
    Setting up aflexible work team Two ways to do it: Approach A: Create a proposal and offers flexible work options to eligible team members. Offer a pilot program for 3 to 6 months with an evaluation, and option for ongoing arrangement. Approach B: Allow entire organization, department, team to work flexibly. Team establishes and agrees to rules and signs a Virtual Work Agreement that is reviewed and renewed every six months. ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 16.
    Managing a flexiblework team Key Components: Execute a Virtual Teams Agreement Realize management style influences outcome Create a sense of place Communicate deliberately Set goals and track performance Choose the right people ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 17.
    Offer for today’sattendees Flexible work consultation Drop your card with Kyra after the event today. Schedule free one-hour phone consultation with Kyra Cavanaugh, Flexible Workplace Expert and President of Life Meets Work by June 1, 2009  We'll discuss your workforce challenges and opportunities, the current state of your flex work program, or your interest in starting one.  At the end, you'll walk away with at least three pieces of actionable advice and no further obligation.  Just call 888-462-5691 or email [email_address] ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 18.
    Research From Workplaceto Anyplace , WWF with a grant from Microsoft Corporation, 2009 http://www.worldwildlife.org/who/media/press/2009/WWFBinaryitem11939.pdf Improving Quality of Life Through Telecommuting, ITIF, 2009 http://www.itif.org/files/Telecommuting.pdf A New Mindset for Corporate Sustainability , 2007 http://www.biggerthinking.com/docs/en/a_new_mindset_white_paper.pdf ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 19.
    Additional Resources Co-workingsites: See list at blog.coworking.info Regus-individual and corporate subscriptions For more information about virtual teams: lifemeetswork.com telework.gov teleworkexchange.com Resources from Sun Microsystems www.sun.com/aboutsun/openwork/ http://www.sun.com/aboutsun/openwork/managing_virtual_world.pdf ©Life Meets Work, 2009
  • 20.
    Contact Us KyraCavanaugh President, Life Meets Work lifemeetswork.com 888-462-5691 [email_address] ©Life Meets Work, 2009