You’ve probably noticed what I’ve noticed: Soaring gas prices are finally, finally, causing people to change their behavior. Take me, for example. I now share my 44-mile commute into Boston with a co-worker, something I thought I would never do.
So people are ready to change. How about employers? Isn’t this the perfect time for companies to experiment with compressed work weeks and telecommuting? If not now, when?
There is clear benefit for employees in these arrangements — my gas bill is suddenly cut in half. But does the employer also benefit, beyond receiving a higher grade on its eco-friendly report card?
Writing on Harvard Business Publishing, Ellen Ernst Kossek details five pluses for employers who implement flexible work arrangements: increased productivity, higher job satisfaction and retention, boost to recruitment, reduced overhead, and a stimulus to the American economy.
Is your organization looking at commute alternatives for workers? Tell us what is happening in your workplace.
