Telecommuting/Flex-Time

Beyond offering your employees smart transportation options, there are other innovative ways your company can help reduce congestion and improve the region's livability. Some examples are telecommuting, flex-time and compressed work weeks.

Telecommuting

Telecommuting employees perform work from home—or at a location near home—one or more days a week. Telecommuting lends itself to jobs that require concentration, quiet or extensive computer or telephone work.

Businesses with successful telecommuting programs report big pay-offs including greater work productivity, enhanced recruitment, office equipment and space savings, and better employee morale. For tips on making telecommuting work for your company, visit the website of the Westside Transportation Alliance. Additional information can be found through the Oregon Department of Energy.

Flex-time

Sometimes the best way to encourage use of alternative commute options is a little flexibility. Flex-time allows employees to adjust their shift times to take advantage of bus and MAX service, carpooling, vanpooling, biking or walking.

For example, if transit service at a work site arrived 10 minutes after the hour, employees who must start on the hour would find it difficult to use. With flex-time, they could start 15 minutes after the hour and work 15 minutes more at the end of the day. If your company's situation is suited to flex-time, it can be a valuable part of your transportation program.

Compressed workweeks

A compressed work week can substantially reduce the number of cars coming to your work site each week. With a compressed work week, employees work the regular number of hours in fewer days. For example, they might work 40 hours in four days instead of five, thus reducing the number of trips to and from work.