Gas prices drive workers - and bosses - to telecommute

[Sequoia]

Irritated by the highest gas prices in U.S. history, John Thorner has a message for his 70 employees: Stay home.

Thorner is requiring all staff at the National Recreation and Park Association to avoid commuting at least one day a week -- either by working four long days and taking the fifth one off, or by working from home on the fifth day.

"The 70 people in our office drive an average of 30 miles a day. We did the math and figured that by having the employees not commute one day a week, we would be saving 100 gallons a week," says Thorner, executive director of the nonprofit, which is based in the suburbs of Washington.

"This is not a huge amount of gasoline, but it could serve as a model for other operations."

When the average price of gasoline in the United States hit $3.18 in May, it was the highest price ever recorded, even when adjusted for inflation, according to the Lundberg Survey of thousands of service stations across the nation.

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/06/07/gas.prices.telework/index.html

It might get to the point where the corporations and stores will lose so much money because people won't go to work or go shopping, vacation, etc. that they'll make such a stink so Bush will get his cronies to lower gas prices. Alternate universe thinking.

[Virginia Dare]

1. When we get the point of rationing again...

and we will, those employers who have already figured out alternate plans will be better for it.

[MindPilot]

2. What about those of us who have jobs

that require a physical presence?

[kestrel91316]

3. We will need to make a better effort to live near where we work.

I have for years. My home is 3 miles from my office. I will be moving soon and my dream is to get a place within 5 minute's walk of the office (there are only a few apartments there, but I am hoping!).

[AndyTiedye]

6. How Many Times Did You Have to Move During Those Years to Stay Close to Work?

[kestrel91316]

7. My work hasn't moved in 16 years. I am self-employed.

IMHO business owners SHOULD live near where they work. Pollution problems woud be addressed a little more aggressively if that were the case, lol. As suggested by Ferenc Mate in A Reasonable Life.

I like his ideas for bringing back guillotines, also, BTW.

[davidwparker]

4. good for that company. i hope that becomes the trend of the future

[SheilaT]

5. Maybe these people could take public

transportation instead of driving. The DC area has very good public transportation. I lived for seven years there without a car, and that was before the Metro opened.