Statistics of Virtual Employees « Dawn Chuma

Statistics of Virtual Employees

October 11, 2012 at 9:25 am · Filed under Uncategorized ·Tagged Virtual, Employees, Outsourcing

Vworker published some interesting statistics on the benefits of transitioning into a virtual workforce.

Virtual workers are more productive and happier than traditional workers:
Virtual workers:

• Best Buy, British Telecom and Dow Chemical found that virtual workers are 36% – 41% more productive.
• The work-from-home nature of virtual work reduces absenteeism by $1,134 per employee, every year.
• 79% of traditional workers would prefer to work from home, and 61% would take a pay cut to be able to do so.
• Virtual workers get an extra 2-3 work-weeks of free time in commuting savings, and report they use this time to spend with family, friends and for leisure.

Traditional workers:
Gallup found that 54% of traditional U.S. workers sleep walk through their day. An additional 18% are “actively disengaged” (meaning they actively undermine what an engaged worker accomplishes). Together, these groups make up a shocking 72% of the traditional workforce.
Another poll found that 1 in 3 high-potential traditional employees do not put full effort into their job.
The Telework Research Network discovered that:
Each traditional employee converted to a virtual worker for half of their hours saves $10,000/employee/year.
If every person in the U.S. economy capable of becoming a virtual worker, became one, the savings would be (per annum):

• $650 billion in savings to U.S. businesses
• $200 billion in productivity gains
• $190 billion in savings from reduced real estate expenses, electricity, absenteeism and employee turnover
• 100 hours/ person saved (not spent commuting)
• 50 million tons of greenhouse gas emissions cut
• 276 million barrels of oil saved (or roughly 32 percent of the oil imports from the Middle East)
• 1,500 lives saved (not lost in car accidents)

In general, virtual workers help themselves and their communities by:

• Reducing carbon emissions and slowing global warming
• Reducing foreign oil dependence
• Reducing traffic jams and accidents
• Bolstering pandemic and disaster preparedness

Editors Note:  If this doesn’t get you excited to transition into a Virtual Office, I would suggest taking a look at the cost per employee.  Virtual Workers are cost and time effective no matter which way you cut it.  - Dawn Chuma

Statistics of Virtual Employees « Dawn Chuma