One of the employee commute solutions MPC recommends to employers participating in our Commute Options program is teleworking. Also known as telecommuting, “Telework is a workplace arrangement in which employees work part- or full-time away from the primary workplace. Most teleworkers work from their homes, but a smaller number work from 'telecenters,' offices with communications access to the main workplace, but closer to the employee's home,” according to Best Workplaces for Commuters (BWC).
BWC estimates that a sizeable number of U.S. employees, some 44 million, are teleworkers. Employers view telework as an employee benefit and recruitment tool, as it can increase the geographic area for recruiting employees. Companies also discover that allowing workers to telework can reduce the cost of leasing office space and may increase employee productivity and lessen employee turnover.
When employees aren't commuting in traffic on a daily basis, they also may feel less stressed. Commuting less frequently also saves time and time and money, by reducing vehicle fuel costs, "wear-and-tear" and possibly even auto insurance premiums. For some employees, telework may help improve their work/life balance issues.
So what organizations are good candidates for telework? What is involved to set up a telework program?
To get answers to these questions, join us for a free webinar, Tuesday, Sept. 27, from noon to 1 p.m. CT, sponsored by the Women’s Bureau of the U.S. Dept. of Labor, Life Meets Work, and two Commute Options providers: the Chicagoland Chamber of Commerce and Clean Air Counts. You'll hear from companies that have implemented telework programs, and learn about the challenges they have faced, lessons they have learned, and rewards they have realized. Register online today.