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Wired for Work
BNH interviewed Jean Stimolo, executive director of Telecommute Connecticut!, and James Lush, its program manager.
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Business New Haven
7/12/1999
By: BNH
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Tell us about Telecommute Connecticut!
Telecommute Connecticut! is a new service of Rideworks, a commuter-services company, and we actually work on all sorts of things that support increased mobility and transportation. That's getting people out of their single cars with car-pooling and commuter rail and shuttle connection. Telecommuting is one of our newest programs that we administer through the Telecommute Connecticut! program.
What is the history of Telecommute Connecticut!?
The program started with a research function, trying to gauge what Connecticut companies were already doing and what their interest was in telecommuting for their businesses. That was done probably about a year ago. It evolved into developing the materials that would be necessary to help the program get off the ground. Then we got to the point where we wanted to try the pilot program, and Jim [Lush] was hired this year to start working on the direct contact with companies and to get it out into the public arena so that people knew about and started becoming aware of what the opportunities were for assistance.
What are some of those opportunities?
As a thumbnail sketch, we are a state initiative, contacting Connecticut employers, throughout the state of Connecticut, providing them with information concerning telecommuting programs for their employees as a worksite alternative. I refer to it as an 'alternate route to work.' This takes people out of their cars and gets them off the road.
What are other benefits of telecommuting?
The national research that is available to us indicates, among other things, that productivity increases for workers who telecommute by in the 25- to 33-percent range. This is one of the major benefits to the employer who institutes a telecommuting program for employees. There are other benefits that include more efficient use of real estate or office space and parking areas. Obviously, if you take a few people out of office space, you can reduce your need for real estate. Another advantage is retention of valuable employees, people who maybe have a very difficult or lengthy commute and might consider leaving their current job to get something closer to home. If they are offered the option of telecommuting one or more days a week, that could be the difference in keeping them as an employee. An additional benefit of that is that it reduces the need for recruiting and training, which are costs that many employers incur.
How do you provide this information to employers?
There are a variety of ways, including direct mail, telephone, face-to-face meetings, etc. Also meetings with associations, Rotary Clubs, chambers of commerce and newsletters.
What has the response been so far?
One of the interesting things is that Telecommute Connecticut! is a brand name. If you looked us up in the phone book or called information you would not find us, because we're administered as Rideworks. So to some extent the initiative has to come from us to employers, not the other way around. Overall, though, the response has been positive. Our research indicated that employers were practicing telecommuting on an informal basis. What they don't have are formal policies and procedures, which leaves them open to some exposure. Many employers realize when I talk to them that that is the first area we can help them with.
What are some specific services you can provide?
We bring in consultants, who have various areas of expertise, including human resources, program development, training of managers and workers. We also provide needs-analyses on telecommuting activity. We assist the employer in establishing methodology for evaluating and monitoring a program, which is the only way they are going to know how it's working. And if it isn't working successfully, we can tweak the program so that it becomes successful.
Where does the money for this come from?
This program is free of charge for employers. The funding for this initiative actually comes from the state. This is something they recognized as an alternative that could help with congestion and air quality, because obviously it takes the person off the road completely. In the research here in Connecticut, one of the main things that was discovered was that there were a lot of Connecticut companies participating in telecommuting. Between seven and 12 percent of businesses are practicing this already. And they are already confirming that the productivity increases are important to them.
Is telecommuting basically any employee working at home?
It is usually working at home one to three days a week. One of the misconceptions we've heard is that people usually think that it is a full-time work mode, and that is not usually the case. It's really a part-time program that a company will embark on to meet several kinds of needs - either the company's needs or the employees' needs or both. That's what makes it fairly valuable as a work site initiative.
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