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What employers can do
People often travel out of habit rather
than necessity. Businesses waste resources on unnecessary journeys. This
will become increasingly costly in future years as car tax breaks are
abolished and new taxes and charges are introduced.
Employers need urgently to address the
need to travel. The public transport option is impractical and
inefficient for many business purposes. Organisations should increase
efficiency and reduce time and money wasted on travel.
To do this they can, for example:
- enable routine flexible working and
mobile working, by supporting staff with both good ICT and
appropriate management and expectations
- review how meetings take place: the
frequency, duration and location
- review occupancy of desks and space
requirements to identify the savings that can come from remote
working
- collaborate with non-competing firms
to share facilities allowing staff from each company to have
stopping off points or 'hubs' for use rather than requiring return
to the company's main office.
What individuals can do
Individuals
– employees, managers, freelancers and business
owners – can make a difference, even where employers
have not yet acknowledged the benefits of telecommuting.
It is important to think carefully about the kind of
work you do, and what kind of journeys you make. There
may well be a valid business reason why working in a new
way would be of benefit to you, your employer and to the
wider community.
Developing balanced and healthy communities
Across the country regional and local bodies are
debating and drawing up plans to accommodate massive
increases in housing. New settlements require fresh
thinking, whether they are on in-fill, brownfield or
greenfield sites.
When these new communities must be designed to accommodate the
workforce of the future, allowing them to work at or near
to home. Every opportunity must be taken to use
development for the revitalisation of existing
communities, by bringing in the infrastructure which will
enable people to work, shop and play over electronic
networks.
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