By Amanda Czepiel, J.D., BLR Legal Editor
Obviously, you can't monitor your employees' energy behavior every minute. You can hope that they conserve energy while they perform their daily responsibilities and keep both your bottom line and the environment in mind, but you can also take a few simple steps to lead staff to energy efficiency, as a report by the American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy (ACEEE) advises.
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Download NowThe report, based on case studies of various government and privately owned buildings, found four common elements to the successful promotion of energy efficiency among employees:
- Leaders are trendsetters. If upper management is on board and actively, and visibly, adheres to energy efficiency practices, and is also a vocal proponent of such measures in the workplace, employees will follow.
- Set up an energy-focused committee. Green teams are great, and hopefully y company already has one, but consider creating a task force to conduct an energy office and determine facility-specific energy saving opportunities.
- Communicate! Employees can't be expected something that they have not heard about. Get the word out through training sessions, emails, and posters.
- Employ multiple engagement techniques. The ACEEE report lists feedback, benign peer pressure, competitions, and a rewards systems as successful tools to engage and motivate employees.
The BLR Green Team created a energy conservation training session for employees that sparked lively discussion and employee enthusiasm, and more importantly, translated into energy savings though the changes in employee attitude and behavior. Check out the presentation, which can easily be adapted to your organization's needs.