The Franklin News-Post
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Rocky Mount, Virginia 24151
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| Ferrum College following national trend to save gas |
Natalie Faunce |
Friday, June 27, 2008
By JOEL TURNER - Staff Writer
With gas prices so high, Ferrum College is allowing some employees to telecommute one day a week.
The employees can work at home one day a week as a way to save gas money and boost morale.
Natalie Faunce, public relations director for the college, said she didn't have an estimate of the number of employees who are working at home one day a week.
Faunce said it is being handled by the director or supervisor of each office at the college on an individual basis.
The employees work it out with their supervisors, she said.
Faunce said it was easy for Ferrum to switch to the telecommute plan because the college is on a flex work schedule for employees.
In a flex schedule, employees adjust their arrival and departure time to suit their individual needs rather than working a traditional 8:30 a.m. to 5 p.m. day, or a 5-day week.
This is called flex-time and requires only that the employee be at the workplace during specified hours.
Employees may work longer hours each day but fewer days a week.
A third option is for employees to work out of their homes instead of the office, or to participate in flex-place-telecommuting.
Nationally, some employers are reconsidering the traditional five-days-in-the-office pattern as the national average price for a gallon of gas tops $4. The idea is to reduce commuting costs for workers by allowing them to work at home or switch to four days of 10 hours each.
Telecommuting has increased in recent years with advances in video conferencing, instant messaging and other communications technologies. Employers are using it as a way to save money and boost workers' morale.
The Telework Coalition, a national organization, estimates that more than 26 million Americans telecommute at least some days, according to the Associated Press.
Some Fortune 500 companies, such as IBMï¾ Corp., use telecommuting to lower costs and keep employees satisfied.
The U.S. House of Representatives has recently approved legislation requiring the head of each federal agency to adopt policies allowing qualified workers to work from home or another convenient location. Rep. Danny Davis, D-Illinois, sponsor of the legislation, said providing relief from high gas prices was one reason for the bill. |
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