Employer 2009

According to Telework Exchange: 

Last week the House of Representatives passed HR 1722, the Federal Telework Improvements ACT. The House passed the telework bill (H.R. 1722) on July 14 with a bipartisan vote of 290-131—gaining 22 more votes from the previous vote in May.

FlexPaths' Chief Strategy Officer, Sandy Burud's Guest Post on Sloan Work and Family Research Network:

There are many things we know for sure about health.  We know that stress impairs health and that a key cause of stress is the lack of a sense of control.  That means that health promotion activities and policies should include giving employees a greater sense of options and control.

The Spring 2010 edition of the TDM Review, titled “Just Stay Home – Telework & Alternate Work Hours- Non-vehicular TDM Strategies and Success Stories”is now available and features an *article from FlexPaths' Chief Knowledge Officer, Karol Rose. This ACT professional journal is the leading publication of the transportation demand management industry. 

Let’s talk about green jobs. In fact, let’s redefine the term.  Going “green” is all about reducing emissions and energy consumption and protecting the plant. Nothing against solar panels, but if all the people in jobs the EPA says could telework actually did work from home, the environmental impact would be enormous. Add the change in commute patterns when people can flex their work hours and avoid traveling at peak hours when congestion aggravates emissions  and the impact is even greater.
 

I am consistently struck by how important it is that we get beyond our own circles and collaborate with new partners whose interests align with ours – if we are to see truly flexible workplaces anytime soon. I’d like to see us pay more attention to business continuity planners.  

In response to President and Michelle Obama's White House Forum on Workplace Flexibility, NPR's The Takeaway produced a segment called, 'Setting Your Own Hours at the Workplace: Setting your own hours for family's sake'. FlexPaths Chief Knowledge Officer, Karol Rose, was their featured guest. 

Listen to the show.

By Karol Rose * Originally posted on Working Mother

It doesn’t take much to shut down a business. It can be a natural disaster, or one that’s manmade. Unfortunately, there are plenty of examples of both. Either way, work stops, productivity drops, customers’ needs aren’t met, the company loses business, and ultimately may be forced to close.

This February, unusual back-to-back snowstorms closed the Federal government. The Office of Personnel Management says it cost an estimated $100 million per day in lost productivity.

By Sandy Burud

Ever hear “Not everyone can work at home”? A new study finds that it’s not as limited as you might think. Check out what this new report has to say: 

Typically the administrative assistant position has had very little flexibility because being present at one’s desk at all times of the day to answer the phone and provide support for managers has been the key requirement of the job. Although the technology is available to perform key job responsibilities of the administrative assistant position effectively from a distance, manager attitudes have been the biggest barrier to telework and other flexible scheduling options for support personnel.

By Karol Rose * Originally posted on Working Mother

Employers are often concerned about two kinds of risks regarding flexibility policies and practices – practical risks and legal risks. What could go wrong in implementing flexibility? Will I be sued? To protect against risk, it is imperative that risk managers and legal personnel understand a new area of the law directly related to flexibility.

Employers have been concerned about the risk that occurs when they offer flexibility. They worry, for example, about backlash from employees who do not have access to flexibility, or risks about security or injury from employees working remotely. But there's a disconnect between what employers worry about and what actually happens. In reality, the risk comes less from offering flexibility, than from implementing it in inappropriate ways.