Posted on 04/27/2006 6:06:43 PM PDT by Dark Skies
At Georgia Power headquarters on Ralph McGill Boulevard in downtown Atlanta, a group of employees received the keys to their new van, bringing the number of vanpool vans to 66, with eight more groups still on the waiting list.
Vanpooling is completely free to Georgia Power employees. Vans meet at a predetermined location at a specific time. Nine to 15 employees ride to and from work together. But Georgia Power provides incentives to all employees willing to try alternative transportation. Carpoolers get free parking and gas vouchers. Transit users ride for free. And once at work without a car, Georgia Power has a fleet of ethanol powered cars to lend out for errands.
“It’s a work-life balance thing,” said Jane Franklin, who heads up Georgia Power's Program. “It saves them (the employees) money, and we retain employs more."
Gov. Sonny Perdue just signed a bill that gives tax cuts to companies that allow employs to telecommute.
And the Clean Air Campaign will pay commuters who are willing to try transit, biking, walking, or carpooling.
"We'll pay them up to 3 dollars a day, up to 180 dollars over a 90 day period to try it," said executive director Ellen Macht.
The Clean Air Campaign has seen a significant increase in the number of people coming to its website to find out more information about carpooling.
The campaign will help commuters find a carpool partner and will assist those wishing to make the switch from solo commuting.
I have telecommuted for years...and it works fine for me.
I might be wrong but the current rise in oil prices might be just what the U.S. needs to make the transition.
Comments please.
If I telecommuted, I'd never get out of my pajamas or comb my hair. Mr. HR would not be happy.
The website putting carpoolers together is a good idea, there's been one in the DC area for several years now.
Insofar as telecommuting is concerned, there are so many scammers out there exploiting that so many want to work from home that if you put any sort of phrase like that into a search engine, you'll find thousands of ways to waste money 'investing' in one of these charades and never make a dime.
I agree. I could telecommute every day, but management wants to see the warm body. What even more stupid is my boss is 4 states away.
I telecommute, and I like it. I'm an early riser, so I've put in 4 hours by 9 AM. Then the other 3 or 4 hours, I work in increments throughout the day. My company doesn't care, as long as I get my work done.
If $72 oil isn't enough incentive, I can't understand why a tax cut would make that much of a difference.
I have a cousin who is a lab tech. She works a straight 8 every day with lunch and coffee breaks. Her warm body is in front of a web cam for the whole day except for breaks. And she is paid top dollar and lives way out at the outer edge of suburban Atlanta.
She drives maybe 10 miles a week.
Good for you! Work will soon be evaluated on the basis of performance instead of hours...a paradigm shift in output eval IMHO.
She is productive.
Down side - our work group misses her personality. It ain't the same.
Tell her to join FR and we can all enjoy her personality.
"I have telecommuted for years...and it works fine for me."
My wife complains occasionally about me pounding away at the keyboard all day in my camo pajamas. I have to go to the store or something everyday so I won't be a total hermit.
"Down side - our work group misses her personality. It ain't the same."
My entire group works from home now. I miss seeing the people a lot and it's harder to get questions answered but it's nice to be home where I can keep an eye on things. Trouble is I tend to spend too much time in front of the terminal.
When I commuted for real, my gas bill was ridiculous and wear and tear on my car wasn't exactly a dream come true.
Mrs. Fierro has a gig now where she telecommutes.
As long as she gets in 8 hours during a 24-hour period, she's golden.
We just set up a laptop today so she can work wirelessly from the backyard/garden.
I don't think it is the same for India.
In a small town down the road, there is a lawyer (who is also an MD...top schools)...she provides a legal/consultative service to lawyers and docs. She goes to the city maybe two or three times a month. I wouldn't be so bold as to imagine her fee schedule. You can imagine as well as can I.
Sounds rough...send in the union organizers!
I wonder what UNIONS will think of this???
Probably the same thing the teacher's union thinks of home schooling.
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