Due to our commitment to the health and safety of staff, Energy Foundation (EF) is shifting into an organizational norm of “remote first.” This means that few (if any) staff members are regularly required to perform their jobs from a centralized office, though we are taking precautions to ensure basic COVID-19 protections for those who do so, such as advanced air filtration systems, limits on the number of people in the office, and health screenings.

Remote working is a promising path forward for EF because this strategy will help our organization:

Promote a stronger work-life balance: Remote working is a promising path forward for EF because this strategy will help our organization. Maintaining a healthy work-life balance is top of mind for many employees. The ability to balance their two worlds is key to feeling happier and more productive while at work. Saving time that staff would otherwise spend on a long commute allows employees to have a better work-life balance—from picking up kids to caring for sick family members—giving people more time to do what they want. This helps to reduce overall stress and adds hours back into their day.

Attract and retain a diverse workforce that reflects the communities we serve: This work-from-anywhere model will unlock new growth opportunities that will help us drive greater equity in our work, whether it is a new program associate from Kalamazoo, program director from Albuquerque, or a senior vice president from Boston. Barriers like location no longer bind our talent strategy, allowing us to search beyond traditional city centers and welcome untapped talent from new communities and geographies. This strengthens our ability to deliver our mission and is a critical component of our overall equity strategy.

Reduce the environmental and other impacts of our organization: Enabling people to work from anywhere helps reduce our contributions to warming the planet, cuts frustrating and often unhealthy commutes, and reduces the number of cars on the road, alleviating traffic congestion.