1. In California, Flexible Schedules Are Tightly Regulated
Employers find that setting up compressed work schedules can be a bureaucratic minefield. While in theory the state’s law promised ‘workplace flexibility,’ in practice it imposes rigid procedural requirements on employers, who could be exposed to an employee claim for unpaid overtime if they make just one false step.
4. As Gas Prices Go Up, So Can Productivity
HR leaders should enable more remote work options that help inflation-battered employees save on energy costs. Employees will not be the only ones to benefit. Studies show that telecommuters are often more productive than office-bound employees doing the same work.
8. Time to Telecommute
Rather than waiting for national gas prices to top out this summer, HR leaders should act now by enabling more remote work options that help inflation-battered employees save on energy costs.
10. Sun's Shining Example
The computer workstation and software manufacturer's worldwide commitment to virtual work arrangements and flextime has slashed costs while bolstering productivity and employee satisfaction.
Not every company can afford to set up its own private bus system or foot the down payment for a new Toyota Prius. But there are plenty of no-cost or low-cost ways to help employees cope with high gas prices.
By Patrick J. Kiger Recommend 0
ot every company can afford to set up its own private bus system or foot the
down payment for a new Toyota Prius. But not to worry, reassures Linda Blandford-Beringsmith,
vice president for HR at Robert Half International, a professional staffing firm
based in Menlo Park, California. "There are plenty of things you can do that don’t
cost a lot of money," she says.
Blandford-Beringsmith says a company can give its commuters
invaluable help, for example, simply by gathering information about public transit
schedules and public-sector van-pooling and ride-sharing programs and putting it
all together in a one-stop portal on the corporate intranet.
Another low-cost option is to set up a program in which
employees set aside money on a pretax basis to cover some of their commuting costs. Federal regulations
allow $115 to be set aside each month toward public transportation passes and $220
to be allocated for parking. Unlike flexible spending accounts for health expenses,
any unspent amount can be rolled over from year to year.
A third relatively low-cost idea is to allow employees
to adjust their starting and quitting times to avoid rush hours. "If they spend
less time sitting in traffic, they’re going to burn less gasoline," Blandford-Beringsmith
says. And they’ll also be in a better mood when they get to work.
Workforce Management, August 11, 2008, p. 28
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Patrick J. Kiger is a freelance writer based in the Washington, D.C., area. E-mail editors@workforce.com to comment.
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ot every company can afford to set up its own private bus system or foot the
down payment for a new Toyota Prius. But not to worry, reassures Linda Blandford-Beringsmith,
vice president for HR at Robert Half International, a professional staffing firm
based in Menlo Park, California. "There are plenty of things you can do that don’t
cost a lot of money," she says.
