Road Rage

Nicole D. Smith

July 8, 2008

R ecord-breaking gas prices have become the sad norm these days. The average one-way commute is hovering around 34 minutes in Atlanta’s rush-hour traffic. Multiply these factors by a five-day work week, and you may have a growing group of frustrated employees who may be silently shooting resumes to companies with more flexible opportunities.

Some Atlanta-based small business owners are taking matters into their own hands. They’re letting gas prices fuel change for their companies, providing more options to employees and most importantly, helping offset the price of gas for any commuting worker.

1. Give your employees the option of a compressed work week

One method used to save employees gas – and ultimately money – is the compressed work week. After all, 40 hours is 40 hours, right? Some employers have implemented four, 10-hour days versus the traditional five, eight-hour work days. Tricia Dempsey, CEO of the technology talent-recruiting firm Agile, says the compressed work week not only builds morale among her 22 employees, but the unorthodox schedule actually works to her advantage.

“I probably get [my employees] to work more hours [with the compressed week] than if I scheduled them the traditional work week,” Dempsey says. “Sometimes consultants or recruiters need to be in the office [for a mid-hire process] on a Friday. They take the time to be there since I offer them a lot of flexibility.”

Dempsey admits that she finds one slight disadvantage to allowing employees to have a four-day work week. “In terms of negative side effects, there are minor occasions where I need somebody to be in the office on Friday … and we just can’t schedule anyone.  Other than that, it really is a great morale booster.”

2. Offer commuting alternatives such as carpooling and vanpooling

In a recent report, the U.S. Department of Energy estimated that four-dollar gas isn’t going away anytime soon, predicting record gas prices will continue to appear in 2009. Yet more than 78 percent of Atlanta drivers are still driving alone in their cars. Atlanta entrepreneurs are using both carpooling and vanpooling as a way to ease the pain of gas prices for their workers, according to statistics on BestPlaces.net, and business owners are enticing those stand-alone drivers to join the 13 percent of Atlanta drivers who already carpool everyday.

Wendy Alpine, a spokesperson for Lathem Time Corporation, says Bill Lathem, the CEO of the small company, agreed to create an alternative transportation program back in October of 2005 in response to then high gas prices that cost $3 a gallon.

“Employees approached [the director of human resources] saying that the high gas prices were eating into their paychecks and raises,” says Alpine. “Now, seven percent of the employees here take advantage of the carpool program.”

Also, in 2005 the Clean Air Campaign of Georgia offered a stipend the first year of any van rental used to initiate a vanpooling program. Alpine says the managers at Lathem saw the opportunity to reduce gas prices for its workers, taking advantage of the government incentive. And Lathem still continues to offer the service for its employees today.

“Lathem has two vans that are offered to employees in Carol and Douglas County. We took surveys and we plotted the different commutes. We had people plot where they live to see where they should have their vans,” Alpine says. “[And now] 12 percent of our employees take advantage of the vanpooling program.” 

3. Telecommuting

Firms are abandoning the traditional approach to work these days by adopting telecommuting. As telecommuting programs are put into place, employees have the flexibility to work in the office a few days a week. Then other days in the week, they work from home. Alpine says working from home is becoming easier than ever before with advanced technology coming into play.

“At Lathem, we have what’s called Voice Over Internet Protocol. … If I call someone at Lathem, and they are working from home, I can’t really tell because I dial into the office, and it goes right to their phone.  … It’s almost a seamless operation that works to offset the high gas prices for our employees.”

4. Change your office headquarters

It may sound a bit drastic, but if a company is small enough, Dempsey suggests that just moving to a central location can reduce the drive and the cost of gas for all employees. She reviewed the distance and time traveled by each one of her employees to come to work. As a result, she changed her office location from Windward Parkway – a burden to several workers – to Vickery, a nearby community.

“One woman was actually driving to Dunwoody everyday. It was an hour-and-a-half to get to and from Dunwoody everyday with traffic,” says Dempsey. “So, I’m saving her at least a good hour a day, in terms of just her commute. And then, multiple that over five times a week for gas. I would say that’s probably about a tank-and-a-half of gas a week. She’s saving about $50 to $70 a week now.”

Dempsey also points out that strategically opting for an office located near services means less driving and less gas consumed by her employees.

“The nice thing that Vickery adds to the benefit of the employee is that there are probably five restaurants in the village so that [my employees] can come out of the office, walk down the steps and go to lunch everyday. There is a dry cleaner, hair care, a nail shop and a toy store. [You don’t have] to leave the village if you don’t want to during the day.”

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Nicole D. Smith is a contributing writer for Catalyst Magazine and is the associate editor for Atlanta Woman magazine and online editor for AtlantaWomanMag.com. Prior to joining Atlanta Business Media, Nicole was a segment producer for CNN. You can reach Nicole here.

Photo Credit: Mark Evans / istockphoto.com

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