Teleworking on the Rise

A study conducted on behalf of the Georgia Department of Transportation shows people in the metro Atlanta area are increasingly turning to commute alternatives, such as carpooling, transit or teleworking, to get to work.

The Metro Atlanta Regional Commuter Survey found that more than one in four people (27 percent) in the region telework at least occasionally. This number represents an increase of 35 percent since 2007. Seven percent of commuters now telework at least three times a week and 5 percent telework full time according to the survey.

More than 4,000 workers were surveyed as part of the study. The survey was conducted by the Center for Transportation and the Environment (CTE), an Atlanta based nonprofit.  

“We were really pleased to see teleworking make such significant gains in the region,” said Kevin Green, executive director of The Clean Air Campaign, “but we weren’t necessarily surprised.  Getting telework to be accepted by more employers as a workplace strategy has been a major emphasis for our organization and its partners.  It’s great to see that work paying off. Telework is a ‘win-win’ strategy whose time has come.”

Gwinnett County is one of the metro employers that allows teleworking. According to Kenneth Poe, Gwinnett County Human Resources Director, telework arrangements are approved on a case by case basis.

“Teleworking has definitely been an asset to our organization,” Poe said. “For those positions that are able to telework, it increases productivity by eliminating commute time and allows for flexibility with individual schedules. It also reduces the impact that vehicles have on our streets and helps with our parking shortage.”

In addition to increased productivity, the Clean Air Campaign lists reduced overhead and improved employee morale as benefits of teleworking. The Clean Air Campaign and the region’s transportation management associations (TMAs) provide free professional telework consulting services and have helped more than 250 employers establish telework programs.  In 2008, the state of Georgia became the first in the country to offer a telework tax credit for employers.