Business benefits:
• Effective tool for retention and recruitment.
• Increased employee satisfaction.
• Low employee turnover.
• Motivated and productive workforce.
• Enhanced employee work/life balance.
• Credibility as the “clean air” agency.

Statistics:
• Work options offered since 1994
• Flextime used by: 60%
• Compressed workweeks used by: 60%
• Telework used by: 10-12 employees.

"Teleworking one day a week is a wonderful way for me to get some concentrated time to work on projects."
– Alice Collingwood, Communications Manager

Recruitment and retention tool
Although a small number of staff worked an alternate schedule in the early 90’s, the Puget Sound Clean Air Agency didn’t create a policy formally addressing and allowing alternate work schedules until 1994 when it hired present Executive Director Dennis McLerran. He was strongly committed to having a workplace that would attract and retain high caliber employees, and to do that, the organization had to be more flexible. McLerran directed the HR department to draft a policy allowing for alternate schedules and a set of procedures for making that happen. The “early adopters” were individual employees who had long commutes and limited access to timely transit options. A fairly complicated approval process has since been simplified, and the alternative schedule policy expanded to include a regularly scheduled telework day.

With a generous salary and benefits package, the Agency consistently attracts high quality candidates for vacancies.  In the last three years, the Agency has had an average of only two staff members resign or retire. In a recent survey that asked employees what they liked about working at the Agency, there were many positive comments about the organization’s flexible policies. Air Resource Associate Kathy Himes, a new hire who accepted this position over other offers because of flexibility, utilizes her 3-day weekends a couple times per month to enjoy outdoor activities. "My alternative schedule enables me to more fully engage in the weekend activities I enjoy. I return to work well rested and am happier, more effective and more efficient. In my last job search, I prioritized alternative schedule options along with factors like salary and benefits."

Work/life balance
“Since the alternate schedule policy was established, we have had at least 50-60% or more of the staff working flextime schedules, compressed workweek schedules, and in a few cases, a reduced schedule (80-90% of a full time schedule),” says Director of Operations Linda Hedstrom. “We’ve also seen that employees appreciate working for an employer that helps them balance their work life with their home life, particularly when there are small children, elderly parents or other family members to care for.”

When managers or supervisors are on an alternative work schedule themselves (and most are), they too enjoy the flexibility. Communications Manager Alice Collingwood says, “Teleworking one day a week is a wonderful way for me to get some concentrated time to work on projects. I get to do it in comfy sweats with my dogs at my feet. Can't beat that!”

Credibility
Because of its own mission to educate people and businesses about clean air choices, the Agency feels it is a necessity to model the same alternative schedules and telework choices they advocate for others in the public and private sectors. “Teleworking is one of the ways we frequently suggest for people to help reduce air pollution,” according to McLerran, “so it's absolutely the right thing for us to walk the talk. Avoiding the commute is a good thing for stress reduction and for air quality.”

The Agency consciously located its office in an area central to a large variety of transit options to encourage employees to leave their cars at home. Since the trains, buses and ferries don’t always run on a schedule that matches up perfectly with office hours, flexibility in staff arrival and departure times is required to maintain the low drive-alone rate among employees.

Productivity challenges
“We are a relatively small agency (less than 70 employees), so allowing as many staff as possible to have alternate work schedules has caused some operational difficulties,” according to Hedstrom, “particularly in trying to schedule meetings and events on Mondays and Fridays when many staff are on their ‘flex day.’ However, we are large enough to be able to provide back-up to almost any staff member who requests an alternative schedule, even if it means that it results in some inefficiencies.” The flexible schedule application process requires employees to talk to their manager, coworkers and customers to determine how his/her proposed schedule might impact the work of others. Any employee who needs back-up for a flex schedule must work out the details with co-workers and the manager before the schedule can be approved. Employees also must agree to be flexible themselves – such as coming into work on a day off to attend a meeting. Flex schedules are reviewed periodically to make sure they are still working for both the employee and the Agency.

Agency management rarely hears of customers or clients expressing concerns about an employee not being available because of a flexible work schedule. Most employees go to great lengths to keep their regular clients and customers notified of their schedules and work hard to provide high quality customer service when they are on the job. According to John Schantz, Inspector II and Shop Steward, “The Agency recently completed a project to equip our twelve field inspectors with laptop computers and remote access capability, enabling us to work from home and connect from the field. This has dramatically cut down the amount of time spent traveling to and from the office in downtown Seattle.”

Organizational culture
Records Administrator Stella Nehen has worked for the Agency for nearly 25 years and has enjoyed a compressed work schedule since October 1997. Her four-day work week allows her to take Fridays off, and Stella often uses this “extra” day off for personal appointments. Arriving early and staying late on her regular work days gives her quiet time to complete projects that would otherwise be interrupted by midday activity.

Some Agency managers initially were hesitant to open up alternate work schedules to all employees, in part because of the perception that it would make managing employees more complex. But their comfort level has improved with time because they see the employees are happy and productive. The organizational culture has evolved to one of maximum flexibility and support for employees and their families, and management styles are based on objectives and results rather than observation of employees at their desks.

Personal and public rewards
Design & Communications Specialist Richard Wisti, who regularly teleworks from his home in Puyallup, offers this view of alternative commuting: “As the early morning sun crests the Cascade Range, it's a teleworking day for this graphic designer. Instead of scrambling to drive to my usual commuter train, the commute this day will consist of less than 10 linear feet. Thanks to a mix of modern technology, affordable high-speed cable/internet, inexpensive and powerful home computers, accessibility via phone, and ergonomic knowledge, this home office is as powerful and efficient as its urban cousin. Estimated improvement in morale, efficiency, productivity, job satisfaction, work ethic, and outlook for the future… greater than 150%. When you think about all that positive, commute-trip-reduction mojo you’ve got working and look in your teleworking mirror, you just can't help but smile back at yourself.”

Published April 2005 by Commuter Challenge. This publication contains material written and produced for public distribution. You may reprint this written material, provided you do not use it to endorse a commercial product. Please reference by title and credit Commuter Challenge.

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