The PTC focuses program work on reducing demand on our road system by helping people find alternative modes of transportation. Another strategy that complements that effort is through alternative work arrangements.

The PTC can help set up any of the programs listed below.

Flex-time allows employees to decide on their own start and finish times for work.

• In most flex-time situations, there are core hours everyone must work.
• Each employee still works the same number of hours -- such as seven and one-half or eight hours -- but decides what time to arrive and leave, and regulates his or her own lunch time.
• Employees can avoid rush hour and organize their time around their own family situation and their peak energy levels.
  • CAUTION: Companies need to take care that staffing is adequate during non-core hours.

Job sharing allows two people to share one job, splitting the salary and benefits according to a pre-arranged formula.

• Employees can devote more time to their personal lives while continuing with their careers.
• Morale is much higher, less time is missed because of family needs, and
• Employers have built-in vacation coverage.

  NOTE: There is more administration with job-sharing.

• For job sharing to be successful, both individuals:

  • need to be very organized;
  • there should be a clear written agreement of what the arrangement will be; and
  • the two individuals need to communicate well.

COMPRESSED WORKWEEKS - Short workweeks squeeze the hours of a "normal" workweek into a shorter period -- for example, four ten-hour days rather than five eight-hour days.

• Employers one day a week of operating costs for their facilities or allow more overall hours to be worked in a facility without running additional shifts and/or overtime.
• Employees generally prefer this arrangement since they have longer breaks from work. This arrangement has quite obvious benefits to the traffic congestion situation.

FACT: If every employee in a company were on a 4-day workweek, that company would have reduced their traffic demand in the Central Perimeter by 20%.

CAUTION: Employers need to be careful that customer service doesn't suffer because of scheduling problems and that safety doesn't drop because of employee fatigue.

TELEWORKING

Employees work from home. Employers who understand teleworking know that it is a work arrangement and not a benefit.

Teleworking is most common for:

• Professional and management employees who have an agreement to work at home one or two days a week.
• Research and programming jobs
• Straight telephone-based work, such as telemarketing or call center work.
  

Employers benefit from not having to maintain workstations for employees. Workers benefit by not having to commute and by the savings involved in not going to the office every day.

CAUTION: Employers need to see the results of the teleworker's labors and communicate well with them.