The Greater Bethesda Chamber of Commerce
  • Who We Are
    • Mission & Strategic Plan
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Team
  • Membership & Benefits
    • Join The Chamber
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Membership Directory
    • Affinity Partners
    • Member2Member Discounts
    • Annual Sponsorships & Forum Club
    • Committees & Groups
    • Member Login
  • Calendar & Events
    • Calendar
    • Sponsor, Host & Advertise
    • Annual Events
    • Travel with the Chamber
  • Community & Advocacy
    • Advocacy
    • Community Resources
    • Business in Greater Bethesda
  • Blog
  • Connect With Us
    • Contact Us
    • ChamberWatch
    • Social Media

Greater Bethesda News

ARTICLE

Date ArticleType
3/20/2020 Member News

Commuter Connections Offers New Telework Resources

resources
PrintEmail
Share
NEWS HIGHLIGHT

Commuter Connections offers new telework resources

Mar 19, 2020

This month, Commuter Connections unveiled new resources to help employers adopt telework programs. While these resources were developed to advance a goal in the Transportation Planning Board’s Visualize 2045 plan to expand telework and other options that reduce solo car trips, they are also of value during the COVID-19 outbreak as employers turn to telework to help ensure the safety of their employees, the continuity of their business operations, and to do their part to protect the community through social distancing.

The telework resources, which can be found on the Commuter Connections website, include sample program guidelines that can be used to construct a telework program and a sample Teleworker Agreement. The site also lists teleworking “Do’s and Don’ts” for both managers and employees related to communication, productivity, and management.

Commuter Connections has promoted telework, offered employers assistance in establishing programs, and tracked its steady growth in metropolitan Washington for the past several decades. According to its most recent State of the Commute Survey in 2019, 35 percent of commuters reported working remotely or from home at least occasionally, which is up from 19 percent in 2007. These teleworkers represented 1,073,000 regional workers. 

 

Telework-Poster-Your-New-Commute-New-Logo

To promote telework within your organization, 
download a PDF version of the poster.

Manager Do's for Teleworking

Communication 

  • Develop good communication and access procedures for your employees so they are clear about meeting times and availability when teleworking, for example, suggest that teleworker email their team when starting and ending their telework day
  • Integrate teleworkers in innovation exchange such as brainstorming with the use of technology
  • Communicate with the teleworker like you would in the office
  • Plan meetings when your teleworkers can participate
  • Consider short team huddles or online meetings
  • Encourage good communication skills, such as responding to emails and voicemails in a timely manner

Productivity

  • Manage by measuring results
  • Build trust through troubleshooting with the teleworkers
  • Encourage goal setting - use the Telework Task Schedule or Daily Log
  • Delegate assignments equitably among your teleworkers and non-teleworkers. Think creatively of how work can be re-organized for the purposes of teleworking
  • Provide feedback in a timely manner
  • Ensure that you have a performance evaluation process in place for both teleworkers and non-teleworkers.

Managing

  • Be prepared if telework doesn’t work well and allow the employee to terminate participation
  • Do consider expanding the telework program after the emergency period
  • Use telework as an opportunity to strengthen your management skills
  • Make sure teleworker has IT contact information
  • Ask for feedback on the teleworking program
  • Trust your teleworkers

Manager Don'ts for Teleworking

Communication

  • Don’t call teleworker every hour to check on progress

Productivity

  • Don’t set unattainable goals
  • Don’t expect perfection; there will be adjustments needed
  • Don’t set unrealistic deadlines for projects
  • Don't select employees that are not productive in the office to telework

Managing

  • Don’t neglect problems
  • Don’t expect everyone to be a successful teleworker
  • Don't begin new projects during the telework period
  • Don't require face to face or team meetings during an emergency period unless necessary - some technology alternatives are Skype or conference call
  • Don't feel obligated to continue the arrangement if it's not working

Contact: Steve Kania
Phone: (202)-962-3249
Email: skania@mwcog.org

Upcoming Events


​​​Member Directory
Event Calendar

Become a Sponsor
​
BLOG
​Contact Us
Privacy Statement
AI Policy
Member Login
Picture
Copyright 2025 The Greater Bethesda
​Chamber of Commerce.  ​
​All Rights Reserved.



​Phone: (301) 652-4900
​​​[email protected] 
​7910 Woodmont Avenue, Suite 1204
​Bethesda, MD 20814
​

MemberClicks
  • Who We Are
    • Mission & Strategic Plan
    • Board of Directors
    • Our Team
  • Membership & Benefits
    • Join The Chamber
    • Benefits of Membership
    • Membership Directory
    • Affinity Partners
    • Member2Member Discounts
    • Annual Sponsorships & Forum Club
    • Committees & Groups
    • Member Login
  • Calendar & Events
    • Calendar
    • Sponsor, Host & Advertise
    • Annual Events
    • Travel with the Chamber
  • Community & Advocacy
    • Advocacy
    • Community Resources
    • Business in Greater Bethesda
  • Blog
  • Connect With Us
    • Contact Us
    • ChamberWatch
    • Social Media