Since late May, Arlington Transportation Partners (ATP) has shared many SafeTrack alternatives including ridesharing, active transportation and of course, telework. Telework continues to be a crucial element in creating a positive work/life balance for employees while at the same time reducing congestion in Arlington.
One of the best ways for an employee to avoid SafeTrack related disruptions is to avoid their normal commute during extended single-tracking and shutdowns. Many companies allow employees in affected areas to telework for the full one or two weeks of a particular shutdown, a very big help for employees adversely impacted. It’s also possible to just add an additional telework day or two to ease the pain.
Telework does not involve employees never being in the office. Rather, employees will often pick a single day each week that they’d like to work from home rather than commute into the office. Setting up telework programs takes a little planning but can be a great new addition to any office. It also gives employees a backup option when certain events cause poor commuting conditions, which is why we especially encourage people to check out teleworking during SafeTrack.
If you need assistance setting up a telework program for your organization, we are here to help. Not only is ATP able to provide tailored advice on what will work best for your organization, we can also connect you with local and state programs such as Telework!VA that are eager to help you get started.
Now that we have weathered the first half dozen surges, we wanted to share some telework success from an Arlington business and ATP Champion, Promontory Interfinancial Network, LLC. Rachel Gaur, Facilities and Events Manager, shared Promontory's story with us and we hope it inspires even more formal telework policies for Arlington businesses.
"Instituted in 2006, Promontory’s telecommuting policy has proven extremely useful for business continuity during inclement weather and large local events impacting travel. The formal telework policy clearly lays out expectations and provides guidelines identifying employees and types of positions covered by the program. It also explains how employees should work from home. Promontory has also made managing Telecommuting Requests and Agreements much easier since transitioning the forms and approval process to an electronic means.
Since all modes of transportation are significantly affected by SafeTrack, Promontory’s telecommuting policy allows business to continue as usual and assists metro-dependent employees with avoiding traffic delays and finding alternate modes of transportation. Other companies without this option may struggle."
One of the things to consider when creating a formal telework policy is whether an employee will work from home or from a public coworking space. Coworking spaces provide office amenities for a monthly rate, which eliminates the need for companies to provide equipment for teleworking employees.
CoworkCafe, an ATP Champion based in Clarendon, offers public office space for individuals who telework. We've partnered together to offer discounted deals on CoworkCafe, which you can access by clicking below to download.
If your business is interested in learning more about formal telework policies, ATP is here to help. You can contact us by emailing solutions@transpartners.com or calling 703-247-2417.
Photo Credit: Sam Kittner/Kittner.com