Whether you are staying with remote work, bringing everyone back to physical locations, or developing a hybrid model, employers are going to be juggling new mobility and commute demands.
Commuting
An active commute like biking or walking is the least expensive and most beneficial green commute. Biking or walking to work means:
- Zero emissions from your commute – reduce 1.2 pounds of carbon monoxide pollution for every mile you don’t drive
- Big savings (walking is free!) on maintenance, insurance, parking, and gym fees
- Health benefits – here are 8 benefits to biking, according to Bicycling.com
- Free commuter plans – including bike routes from Delaware Commute Solutions
- Save time – combine your daily workout with your daily commute
Make it a Combo Commute: If your commute is too far away to ride your bicycle comfortably, remember that cycling a portion of the way is also an option. DART First State buses are equipped with bicycle racks, and bike lockers are also located at designated Park and Ride lots, making it easy to take transit the remainder of the way if you wish to leave your bike behind. Learn about the Bicycle Locker Program and DART’s Bus Bicycle Racks at DART First State.
Instantly cut 50% or more of your commute costs by carpooling! No carpool partner? No worries! Delaware Commute Solutions can help you find a carpool partner with a similar work schedule, near your home and worksite. There are also DART Park & Ride lots available with free carpool parking. A carpool commute can:
- Save you money – up to thousands of dollars a year!
- Take a car off the road and help air quality
- Reduce stress – you might even make a friend
- Stay flexible – pick the schedule and days that work for you…even one or two days a week really helps!
- Get you special preferred parking at some worksites (check with your employer)
Teleworking is one of the best ways to attract and retain employees as the opportunity to work remotely can be a determining factor for candidates. Not only do employers report an increase in productivity, but employees save time, money, and stress from commuting to work! Teleworking also reduces the number of drive-alone commutes and improves our air quality.
Allowing employees to work from home one or two days a week can enhance employee satisfaction. Studies show that those who telework are up to 10-20% more productive than their coworkers in the office. Employees are also more likely to fulfill their workday time commitments and take fewer sick days.
Benefits to Telework
- Improved employee productivity and satisfaction
- Reduced costs for parking and office space
- Stronger recruitment and retention; reduced turnover
- Happier and less stressed employees
- Eco-friendly!
Transit is an excellent way to get where you’re going. DART First State provides transportation services statewide with over 500 buses and 70 routes including its 8 Resort Transit seasonal routes and demand response paratransit service. You can also take advantage of the DART Park & Ride lots and park free before catching the bus. A transit commute can:
- Save you money!
- Reduce congestion and improve air quality
- Avoid the hassle of driving, finding parking, and more
- Reduce stress while you let someone else do the driving
- Allow you to multi-task (read, catch up on emails, and more!)
Get a lot less pain at the pump with vanpooling! If your commute is more than 25 miles one way to work, a vanpool could be a great commute solution. Delaware Commute Solutions can help you get started by identifying potential vanpool participants who share your commute pattern. The cost of the vanpool will be determined by the number of riders, distance traveled, and total gas costs. If your employer offers pre-tax transit benefits or subsidies, your costs are even lower!
Vanpools are ideal for 6 or more passengers, and a full van results in the lowest fares because more riders share the costs. Vanpools also receive:
- Insurance for drivers, riders and vans
- Convenient service locations for van maintenance
- 24-hour roadside assistance
- A fuel debit card for use at major gas stations and for EZ Pass tolls (optional)
- Preferred parking at some worksites
Vanpool Flyer
Work Arrangements
Flexible Hybrid Work
Telecommuting is the practice of working from outside of the employer’s office or physical workplace. Often it will mean working from home, but it could equally mean working from a public library, co-working space, coffee shop, or anywhere else with public wi-fi, depending on the devices available and the individual company policy.
A remote worker will be able to do their job from anywhere in the world, as long as they have the necessary equipment and technology, such as a computer and access to the internet. Often, companies employing remote workers will have staff located in different countries.
Remote workers are not usually required to attend team-building sessions or office-based meetings, although they may participate through video conferencing. However, not all companies are aware of the distinction between remote work and telecommuting, so jobs are sometimes advertised as being remote, even if they do not meet the criteria.
A condensed workweek, also known as a compressed workweek, is an arrangement where the standard full-time working hours are still worked, but they are condensed down into fewer days than normal. Most often, this will result in a four-day working week rather than a five-day working week, although the exact arrangement may vary.
Flextime refers to flexible working arrangements where employees are given the freedom to select when their working day begins and ends, as long as they work their contracted number of hours. Most commonly, this means simply adjusting precisely when their daily working hours take place.
Part-Time Work describes any form of employment that provides fewer weekly hours than a full-time job. Although the definition of what constitutes full-time work varies from location to location, a common cut-off point is 30 hours per week. In the United States, part-time work is defined as anything ranging from one hour to 34 hours per week.
Shift Work describes an arrangement where the working day is divided into different shifts, which are then allocated to employees, meaning different groups of workers will be carrying out their duties at different times of the day. It is an especially common approach for employers who operate 24-hours a day, seven days a week.
Job Sharing is another flexible work arrangement, where two people are employed on a part-time basis, combining to carry out the work that would otherwise be done by one person employed on a full-time basis.
Co-Sharing Space
If you or your company needs monthly office space, a reserved desk, open space, space for events, or virtual office space there are options in Delaware to help you with those requirements.
CSC Station – CSC Station – WE ARE THE BUSINESS BEHIND BUSINESS®
The Mill – https://www.themillspace.com/
NextFab – https://nextfab.com/
Win Factory – https://thewinfactory.io/
Delawork – https://www.delawork.com/
Middletown Business Incubator – https://www.maccde.com/mbi-workspace/
The Hub @ 1201 – https://stat.international/office-solutions/the-hub-at-1201/
Regus – https://www.regus.com/
Emerging Enterprise Center – https://eecincubator.com/incubator
The General Store – https://www.gscowork.com/
1313 Innovation – http://1313innovation.com/
Virtual Office Space:
Alliance Virtual Offices – Virtual Office Space at 300 Delaware Ave., Wilmington, DE (alliancevirtualoffices.com)
Concord Pike Executive Suites – Virtual Office Address at 1521 Concord Pike (US 202), Wilmington, Delaware 19803 (davincivirtual.com)
Allied Offices – Delaware Ave. Business Center – Allied Virtual Offices (alliedoffices.com)
Silverside Center – https://www.davincivirtual.com/loc/us/delaware/wilmington-virtual-offices/facility-420
Info Series
Delaware Commute Solutions (DECS) Webinar Info Series is a collection of webinars to address the different functions of commuting. The series started with a Telework Series with the webinars focusing on working from home. Each webinar addresses different topics that can be applied to employers and employees along with a quick review of tips.
Mindfulness
Mindfulness is the practice of purposely focusing your attention on the present moment—and accepting it without judgment. Mindfulness is the ability to know what is going on in your head in any moment without getting carried away by it.
Increasing mindfulness in a busy work environment will reduce negative stressors, make you more productive and help foster a healthy environment where you and your co-workers can thrive. A day full emails, phone calls, and meetings can be even more productive by following these tips to stay mindful at work.
- Be Consciously Present: be aware of what is going on around you and what is going on within you.
- Be a Single-Tasker: studies show that we feel more productive when we multi-task when in fact we are less productive. Multi-tasking is ineffective.
- Adopt a Growth Mindset: every situation and piece of feedback is an opportunity to improve
Other Articles
https://ceoworld.biz/2021/06/15/use-mindfulness-to-counteract-the-turmoil-of-returning-to-the-office/
https://www.spiritualityhealth.com/ways-to-mindfully-return-to-the-office
https://my.happify.com/hd/neuroscientists-share-tips-for-coping-with-stress/?et=0c9ab3b9-9a81-4d30-9093-c9a61096c9d4
https://www.mindful.org/how-to-manage-stress-with-mindfulness-and-meditation/
Commuter Engagement
Brown Bag – Engagement Activity
