Workplace Travel Plans - main body - Final Jan 2010 ENGLISH - FCM

Chapter 4 — Travel Plan Measures
4.6 TELEWORKING
Telework is a complex subject and difficult to address
comprehensively in a concise guide like this one. However, the
following paragraphs identify some basic considerations.
Telework reflects the evolution of the Canadian
workplace. By enabling employees to work outside a
traditional office, telework (or telecommuting) helps
them reduce or eliminate their need to commute. It can
involve working from home, a satellite office, a thirdparty
telework centre, or virtually anywhere else.
It is important to acknowledge the distinctions between
casual or flexible telework (for which the employee
continues to commute frequently, and maintains a
personal workspace at the office) and full-time telework
(for which the employee only travels to the workplace as
needed, and may require only a shared or drop-in
workspace). Full-time telework has more significant
requirements and impacts for both the employer and
employee.
Employees and managers are both likely to have
preconceptions about the advantages and disadvantages
of telework. These views may strongly favour or
disfavour telework as a practice, and may or may not be
realistic. Consultation, education and training help
ensure that everyone who is potentially affected by a
telework initiative has a full and objective
comprehension of the implications.
A telework option provides us with a great tool
for business continuity and offers the additional
benefit of reducing our carbon footprint.
Alexia Vitaljic, Credential Financial Inc.
Telework is not suited to all, or even most, employees
and employers. Its role in a travel plan can be significant
due to the potential for outright elimination of some
commuting activity, but it can have great impacts on
other aspects of business operations. For this reason,
telework initiatives require the involvement of many
different actors to ensure a full understanding of
opportunities and challenges.
4.7 COMPRESSED WORK WEEKS
Compressed work weeks allow employees to work their
required hours over fewer days (e.g. five days in four, or
ten days in nine), eliminating the need to commute on
certain days. Typical employee benefits include a better
work-life balance and greater flexibility in scheduling
personal appointments. Employer benefits include
extended service hours and reduced parking demands if
employees don’t all take the same day off.
As part of a travel plan, compressed work weeks can
eliminate 10 to 20 percent of commuting activity.
However, extended hours can make it hard for some
employees to find carpool partners among those still
working regular hours. Active commuters may find
themselves travelling more frequently in darkness. Transit
users may also find that longer hours leave them unable to
take peak-period express buses, or that transit becomes
challenging due to the extra travel time on top of the
longer workday. The reduced number of commuting days
each month can also make transit passes less competitive
as a method of fare payment.
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Workplace Travel Plans: Guidance for Canadian Employers