Home workers could solve traffic woes

By ADAM GIFFORD

Teleworking - doing normal office work from a home or remote base - is being touted as a solution to regional transport problems, as well as being a smarter way to work.

The Auckland Regional Council has completed an investigation into telework promotion and it is now assessing how telework may fit into its overall traffic-demand management strategy.

The Wellington Regional Council is considering a similar project.

The ARC project made the finals of the transport category in the recent Energy-wise Awards dinner in Auckland.

A telecentre on the Kapiti Coast, which allows 20 people to work away from their Wellington offices, also made the final three.

It is smarter to eliminate a problem than cope with its effects, "so in the transport debate you eliminate the trip that creates the congestion," says Bevis England from Telework New Zealand (www.telework.co.nz), a consultancy in teleworking.

"Most existing strategies encourage people to switch one problematic mode of transport with another, such as from the car commute to the perceived inconvenience of public transport.

"A lot of people would prefer to work from home two or three days a week. That would result in a significant reduction of traffic, which could not be done any other way."

Mr England says the proposed North Shore busway will cost more than $100 million to build, for a single-digit saving in traffic flows at peak time.

A $1 million campaign to promote teleworking could bring a 5 per cent peak-hour traffic reduction, without the need for continued promotion.

"Everywhere this happens - Los Angeles, Denver, Portland, Charleston Virginia - it grows on its own as employers realise there really are benefits in this approach."

Its adoption is held back by lack of awareness, the fact most managers do not trust staff, and a lack of enthusiasm by Government and telephone companies, he says.

"Everywhere globally this has taken off, it was pushed by telecommunications companies."

He says the Government had the most to gain from more community servers, better use of national infrastructure and pollution control.

The ARC study involved teleworking trials at law firm Hesketh Henry and the Customs Department.

Hesketh Henry general manager Wendy Stein says four people including herself took part in the initial pilot, and the process is being incorporated into normal operations. The firm saw a number of areas where it could benefit, including teleworking being a family-friendly option which could help recruiting.

"We have a woman who has just gone on maternity leave and in a couple of months she will work two days a week from home until she's ready to come back to the office," Ms Stein says.

A policy - including rules, expectations and eligibility criteria - was drawn up and working areas at home were inspected "to ensure people were properly set up and not just working on the kitchen table."

Calls are diverted from the company switchboard so clients don't need to know the person is not on site.

Ms Stein says the teleworkers have increased their productivity, because they can work without the usual distortions of an office.

"It gives us flexibility and choices."