Governor Kemp has declared Monday, November 18 through Friday, November 22 as Georgia Telework Week. The week provides employees across the state and in Perimeter with the opportunity to save time in their day and increase productivity at work by avoiding traffic and working remotely.
Recent studies show that the average commuter in Metro Atlanta spends 77 hours driving to work each year. Georgia Telework Week brings employees across the state a chance to reduce the hours they’re spending on the road and put that extra time toward work, family, hobbies, or other interests.
Georgia Commute Options is extending an extra incentive to Georgia Telework Week participants. Anyone who teleworks between Nov. 18 – 22 and logs their telework day through Georgia Commute Options will be entered for a chance to win a $50 gift card.
Telework Program Advice from Atlanta Leaders
As telework continues to be a top demand among today’s workforce, establishing a program can provide companies with a leg up on the competition to attract and retain top talent. Georgia Commute Options recently held a Telework Summit to equip Atlanta human resource and business leaders with the tools they need to roll out a telework program at their company.
The event featured a panel discussion led by Georgia Commute Option’s Elham Shirazi that included Allison Barnes (Cumulus Media), Ariane DeLong (Park Pride), and Sheila Stallings (Cox Communications). The big takeaway? Do your research before selling the program to leadership.
Sheila Stallings, Director of People Services at Cox Communication, spearheaded the company’s flexible work pilot program — FlexWork@Cox — that rolled out in August 2018 to employees at the Cox headquarters in Perimeter. Before pitching the pilot to her leadership team, she equipped herself with research and data from similar companies who had rolled out flexible work programs to employees. All of Sheila’s research paid off, and she was able to take the pilot program off the ground. For others planning to make a pitch for telework to their leadership team, Sheila encourages them to “focus on attraction, retention, and being competitive.”
Cox’s pilot provided impressive results, with 90% of employee respondents reporting they would recommend flex work, and 91% of leader respondents reporting they believe flex work is a good idea.
The program was a success in great part due to its alignment with the company’s vision: empower people today to build a better future for generations to come. Based on the pilot’s fruitful outcome, Cox is now looking to expand a 60-day pilot to two additional markets.
If you’re considering implementing teleworking at your company, we’re here to help. Check out our resources, such as our Telework Selection Survey and Flexible Work Arrangement Policy Templates, or send us a note at info@perimeterconnects.com.