Teleworking Benefits

AstraZeneca
AstraZeneca began its telework program in 2000, when Astra merged with Zeneca and created its headquarters in Delaware. Management recognized that many employees would be faced with a longer commute as a result of this relocation, and set out to solicit and address employee concerns. Soon after the merger between Astra and Zeneca, employee polls showed that employees were willing to accept this commute until a new site was built, but that they would need increased flexibility to aid the transition. As a result, AstraZeneca implemented a workplace flexibility plan, which includes a telework program that gives employees the opportunity to work from
home.

In addition to programs such as shuttle services to and from
AstraZeneca, rideshare matching, regular ozone condition updates for employees, and commuter benefits that can save employees up to 30 percent on mass transit expenses, the telework program helps AstraZeneca meet the mandate of a Delaware state traffic mitigation agreement, which requires at least 15 percent of their employees drive in multiple occupancy vehicles.

To date, the telework program includes 600 employees who have signed contracts and received training on effective teleworking, and 275 employees who are actively teleworking. The major costs in setting up the commuter benefits program consisted of the following: Broadband Internet service, shuttle services, Transportation Management Association (TMA) membership, and membership in the Association for Commuter Transportation (ACT).

Boeing
In January 2005, Boeing is increasing its transit subsidy for employees in Washington’s Puget Sound region. The company also encourages employees to work at flexible work locations and provides employees interested in carpooling with a startup incentive. Employees at Boeing’s Mesa, Arizona worksite can choose to receive a free bus pass or join a vanpool and benefit from generous gas cards.

Cisco Systems
Cisco Systems offers an array of commuter services to its employees, including a shuttle service between campus and transition stations, transit passes and subsidies, guaranteed ride home, bike lockers and showers in every building, and promotes commuting options through its internal Web site and other organizational communication tools. In the last five months, Cisco has seen a 12 percent increase in participation in its commuter incentive programs. Cisco also participates in the IRS TEA-21 Pre-tax Payroll program allowing employees to use pre-tax dollars to pay for public transit. The company offers the majority of its employees broadband Internet access at home, allowing workers to avoid commutes during peak hours and to add flexibility to the traditional work schedule. In addition, Cisco offers onsite amenities such as cafes, ATMs, company stores, and fitness and child care centers to help reduce the amount of travel required and to lend convenience for employees.

Intel
With a universal vanpool and transit subsidy program ($30 per month) and Emergency Ride Home services, Intel is a leader in commute-related benefits. Intel's intranet contains a section for commuters, which is intended to entertain as well as inform. Intel continues to weave flexibility into its corporate culture. Last year, 40 percent of its employees teleworked, while other staffers took advantage of flextime, compressed workweeks, part-time hours, and job-shares. In 2004, nearly 66 percent of Intel workers said their company supports a flexible work environment—up from 37 percent in 1999. All major work sites offer employees a number of great onsite amenities, such as fitness centers, locker rooms, and basketball and volleyball courts, dry cleaning, sundries, photo development, and food court style cafes with menus that change daily.

LexisNexis
The LexisNexis telework program is called “Alternate Work Solutions,” and supports people who telework from home part-time, full-time. In 1995, the company began a pilot program, encouraging select employees to work from home. Within a year, the company had saved $6 million in operating costs. By 1996, the program was completely established, and the program has been profitable for LexisNexis ever since. According to the April 4, 2004 Best Workplaces for Commuters TeleSeminar, senior director of corporate service for LexisNexis offered the following lessons:

• It is important not only to train employees to connect to the office network from home, but also to train managers to direct a team that is not physically present.
• Strong commitment from company executives eases the implementation of telework programs.
• By evaluating an employee’s performance, employers can determine if the employee would be a productive teleworker or if the employee should continue to work on-site.
• To ensure that the employee remains productive while working at home, the employer can ask the employee to sign a contract that details working hours and the communications process the employee will use to stay in contact with management.

Sun Microsystems
A large percentage of Sun Microsystems employees—nearly 15,000—participate in Sun's iWork program, which enables employees to work from home, from drop-in centers, or at different campuses throughout the country. Employees at Sun's major campuses around the country also receive transit subsidies and/or prepaid transit passes to encourage and facilitate the use of public transit. In addition, Sun operates one of the largest employer operated transit shuttle programs in the entire Bay Area, with six vehicles operating seven different shuttle routes each workday. In the first 8 months of 2005, the number of employees riding shuttles rose 15 percent, from 7700 employees to 8700. Sun also distributes information about commuter benefits and other regional commute programs via email and our SMART (Sun Microsystems Alternative Resources for Transportation) internal commute program Web site. Sun's comprehensive Commute Benefit program results in reduced commute trips being made by Sun employees, less air pollution, and less commute stress and cost for Sun employees.