Call to telework during Olympic Games ignored by Salt Lake City firms
Talk about a lost opportunity. With an anticipated 1.8 million visitors expected to converge on Salt Lake City this winter - for the XIX Olympic Winter Games in February and the Paralympics in March - telework seemed like an ideal solution for avoiding the anticipated gridlock, keeping workers productive and generally maintaining the city's sanity.
Yet, Utah's business community has largely shunned it.
"People here still want to have their space in the office. There's still the fear factor that if you're not in the office you're not working," explains Pat Dierks, a Utah Transit Authority (UTA) ride-share specialist, and president of the local chapter of the International Telework Association and Council (ITAC).
Instead, firms are asking workers to report for 4 a.m. and 6 a.m. shifts so the streets will be clear of commuters by the start of the afternoon events.
It's not that Utah state officials didn't consider telework. When the city won the games in 1995, UTA planners designed a "Business Game Plan" to help firms restructure their commuting habits during the games. The nine-step game plan recommended "travel demand management" with the "overriding objective to help businesses maintain mobility during the Games... [and] reduce everyday traffic up to 20% in particular areas."
Specifically, the plan detailed an array of alternative work models including flex-time, staggered work hours, compressed work weeks, telework and satellite work stations. Other recommendations included carpooling, the use of public transit and taking vacation time during the games. The UTA even offered to draft plans for companies with more than 100 employees.
Despite the UTA's extensive outreach, corporate Utah rejected its plan. A publicist with Franklin Covey said she suspected the company's 3,000 employees wouldn't be affected by the traffic woes, even though its office - located in Salt Lake City's southwest side - will be "surrounded by venues." Zions Bancorporation will shift the hours of three of its downtown branches to open and close one hour earlier. But otherwise it's business - and commuting without telecommuting - as usual, said a spokesman.
Even so, as the date approaches, calls to the UTA are picking up, says Dierks, adding, "But for many firms, it's just too late to make an effective plan."
Jeff Zbar is an author and speaker on telework, free agency, and small or home office issues. His books include "Teleworking & Telecommuting: Strategies for Remote Workers & Their Managers" and "Safe @ Home: Seven Keys to Home Office Security". Jeff works from home in Ft. Lauderdale, Fla. Questions or comments? Write him at jeff@chiefhomeofficer.com.
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