Travel Information Bulletin
JULY  -  AUGUST 2005

Telework Can Help You Earn Your BWC^TM Designation

    Established by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the BWC^TM program publicly recognizes employers whose commuter benefits reach the National Standard of Excellence. Providing commuter benefits helps employers address limited or expensive parking, reduce traffic congestion, improve employee recruiting and retention, and minimize the environmental impacts associated with drive-alone commuting. Participating companies earn the designation "Best Workplaces for Commuters^SM"— a mark of excellence for environmentally and employee-friendly organizations.

    The program highlights the efforts of many top employers to help get employees to work safely, on time, and free of commute-related stress. It provides the tools, guidance, and promotion necessary to help U.S. employers of any size incorporate commuter benefits into their standard benefits plan, reap financial benefits, and gain national recognition.

    There are a combination of programs that can help a worksite qualify for the BWC^TM designation, including:

• Offering a significant telework program that reduces by at least 6 percent the number of commuting trips the employees make; or
• Offering to pay at least $30 per month towards a transit pass (or the full cost of a pass if it is less than $30) to each employee who commutes using transit; or 
• Offering to pay at least $30 per month towards a vanpool pass (or the full cost of a pass if it is less than $30) to each employee who commutes in a vanpool; etc.

(For how to qualify please visit www.bwc.gov) 

    Above and beyond earning the BWC^TM designation, there are compelling reasons for workplaces to institute commuter choice programs for the employees. The need to reduce roadway congestion, air pollution, the employee stress of commuting to work recommends that workplaces have commuter choice programs in place.  The need to ensure continuity of operations (COOP) during inclement weather or in the event of a natural or man-made disaster mandates that corporate and public workplaces institute telework programs for their employees.  

    Telework initiatives continue to gain momentum and managers are confounded by how to provide secure and economical telework solutions for their eligible staff, while maintaining productivity and performance. Eligibility is determined by the employee’s job function and ability to work off-site with no decrease in performance. Respected organizations show that the work/life balance advantages of telework are important to employees,and the telework option can provide companies significant dividends in recruiting the best and the brightest. They accept that proximity is not a pre-requisite for productivity. 

    The move to mobility, like many compelling technologies, has become an unstoppable force, fueled by the transition to mobile technology occurring late last year in Europe. With security solutions available to meet even the most stringent requirements of the Department of Defense, teleworking employees are no longer singularly dependent on working at the office – they are staying connected through mobile devices such as smart phones, Blackberries, PDAs, and notebook computers. Cutting edge technologies are enabling wireless hotspots, providing mobility platforms, and working with the software community to ensure their code is optimized for these devices. 

    Join the telework ranks and elevate your workplace to the enviable designation as a BWC^TM.   You may visit www.telecommute.org or www.teleworker.com to learn more about telework.   You may want to become designated as one of the BWC^TM companies and achieve top ranking by doing so.  Please visit www.bwc.gov and see if you already qualify.