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“Man, what’s with the traffic this morning? I was stuck on the exit ramp for 15 minutes,” is fairly common opening workplace conversation. The typical workday for commuters in the Central Maryland region begins and ends with driving alone for 40 minutes in a car, avoiding careless or aggressive drivers, idling in traffic congestion and looking for a parking space. While many workers like their jobs, the frenzied experience of commuting can put a damper on anyone’s workday. And then there are those Saturdays spent taking the car in for needed maintenance caused by commute miles.
Telecommuting – Navigating from Cyberspace
For many, however, there is some relief opportunity from the daily commuting routine. The advent of computers, electronic commerce and telecommunications have prompted many employers to allow teleworking one or more days per week. Telework (also called telecommuting) offers the option to work at a location, usually from home, other than an “official duty station,” or workplace.
“Telework reduces traffic congestion and air pollution emitted by vehicles,” says Russ Ulrich who promotes telework programs as part of his work with the Baltimore Metropolitan Council. “Telework is a small, but growing option for Baltimore-area workers. Telework is more widely accepted in the Washington suburbs where there is a large concentration of federal workers. The federal government is very supportive of telework initiatives.”
Maryland state government also supports telework. In fact, our state has a telework guidance manual and policy initiative for each agency that allows at least 10 percent of eligible employees to telework. Maryland requires that a supervisor determine which jobs are suitable for telework. Eligible employees are required to enter into a formal agreement and dedicate a safe and suitable workspace for official work.
Part of Our Environmental Mission
While some employers cannot get past the notion that work is not getting done if the employee is not at the company workplace, many employers find that providing telework is an incentive in recruiting and retaining workers. Some organizations find that teleworking even fits with its mission. The National Wildlife Federation regards teleworking as part of their mission as a conservation organization by reducing vehicle use and giving it the chance to “walk the talk.”
Equipment that Drives Itself
All you need is a hard drive. Some companies and agencies provide workers with equipment to be used in home offices while other employers make that the responsibility of the worker. Maryland’s policy is that agencies may provide equipment and office supplies such as laptops, desktop computers, and printers to be used by the employee only and “for purposes related to state business only.”
A Maryland Department of the Environment fiscal administrator says she works from home one day a week but uses her own personal desktop computer and printer. “I just don’t have the space at home for agency equipment to be used for just agency work and additional space for my own computer.”
For more information about teleworking and other commuter options, visit the Baltimore Metropolitan Council’s Web site at www.baltometro.org or the Commuter Connections Web site at //www.mwcog.org/commuter/ccindex.html.
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