NEW YORK, April 11, 2011 – American businesses are measuring the savings from their green workplace practices more than ever, according to a new survey released today by Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company (NYSE: XRX).
Buck’s third annual survey, “Greening of the American Workplace,” revealed that 60 percent of organizations are measuring their cost savings from green programs, up from 39 percent last year – an increase of 54 percent.
Survey respondents noted that the savings are widespread throughout the workplace. Seventy-eight percent report electricity cost savings, two-thirds indicate heating/cooling and paper savings, and 60 percent are cutting costs on water.
Overall, 69 percent of survey respondents have green programs in place, an increase from 53 percent last year.
Among the organizations that have a formal green program, the most common practices are:
• Recycling and paper reduction (97%)
• Web and/or teleconferencing (95%)
• Healthy living and wellness (85%)
• Internal green communication programs (81%)
• Light sensors (75%)
“Nearly six in 10 respondents indicate the recession had no impact on their green workplace initiatives while 19 percent actually expanded green programs during the economic downturn,” said Allison Artnak, director at Buck Consultants. “We attribute this to the belief that going green can be good for business and for the bottom line.”
Seventy-eight percent of organizations consider cost savings as the leading motivator for green programs, while the creation of community goodwill (58 percent) and employee engagement/morale (56 percent) round out the top three motivators.
Sixty-two percent of survey respondents now track stakeholder feedback on green programs and/or social responsibility, doubling from just one year ago.
Leadership is a critical factor for success of green workforce initiatives. The survey found that 88 percent of employers with green programs include the CEO in development and communications while 91 percent of respondents appointed a dedicated leader for their green efforts.
Among employers that provide incentives to encourage green behaviors, 43 percent provide special employee recognition, 19 percent give prizes, and 14 percent provide a monetary reward.
To download a visual infographic interpretation of the data contained within the “Greening of the American Workplace” survey, please visit http://news.xerox.com/pr/xerox/photo.aspx?fid=137069.
About the Greening of the American Workplace Survey
The survey analyzed responses from more than 100 organizations in the United States, representing a wide range of industries including financial services, manufacturing, health care, and non-profits. The research was conducted during the fourth quarter of 2010, and examines the types of green processes, policies, and programs employers are using to manage environmental and operational issues.
Buck Consultants supports clients’ green initiatives by providing customized solutions that integrate measurement of employee attitudes with employee education that motivates and rewards green behavior. Buck’s solutions include GreenSpotsm, a website devoted to green communication that clients can use off the shelf or have customized to their needs.
Long before going green made headlines, Xerox has and continues to integrate sustainability into its business strategy: pioneering two-sided copying; print-on-demand; the use of recycled paper; and recycling toner cartridges. In addition, through Xerox’s managed print services, organizations of any size benefit not only from an up to 30 percent reduction in total document management costs but also reduced energy and paper use.
“The Greening of the American Workplace 2010” is available to the media at no cost by contacting Ed Gadowski at 201-902-2825. It is available to other interested parties for $200 from Buck’s Global Survey Resources, 50 Fremont Street, 12th Floor, San Francisco, CA 94105. Telephone 1-800-887-0509. It also can be ordered online at http://www.bucksurveys.com.
About Buck Consultants
Buck Consultants is a leader in human resource and benefits consulting with more than 1,500 professionals worldwide. Founded in 1916 to advise clients in establishing and funding some of the nation’s first public and private retirement programs, Buck is an innovator in the areas of retirement benefits, health and welfare programs, talent and human resource management, compensation, and employee communication. News and other information about Buck Consultants are available at http://www.buckconsultants.com. Buck is an independent subsidiary of ACS, A Xerox Company.
About Xerox
Xerox Corporation is a $22 billion leading global enterprise for business process and document management. Through its broad portfolio of technology and services, Xerox provides the essential back-office support that clears the way for clients to focus on what they do best: their real business. Headquartered in Norwalk, Conn., Xerox provides leading-edge document technology, services, software and genuine Xerox supplies for graphic communication and office printing environments of any size. Through ACS, A Xerox Company, which Xerox acquired in February 2010, Xerox also offers extensive business process outsourcing and IT outsourcing services, including data processing, HR benefits management, finance support, and customer relationship management services for commercial and government organizations worldwide. The 136,000 people of Xerox serve clients in more than 160 countries. For more information, visit http://www.xerox.com, http://news.xerox.com, http://www.realbusiness.com or http://www.acs-inc.com. For investor information, visit http://www.xerox.com/investor.
Media Contact:
Ed Gadowski, Buck Consultants, A Xerox Company, +1-201-902-2825,
edward.gadowski@buckconsultants.com
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