Description
Working from home more often reduces our energy needs for travel by eliminating trips from work to home and back, which tend to be longer than other kinds of trips. Transportation emissions from commuting can be reduced if workplaces adopt models that include work from home and flexible work schedules.
This action will be led by all businesses and employers within Waterloo Region. Please see below for the most recent publicly available updates.
REGION OF WATERLOO
As an employer, the Region of Waterloo has a hybrid work policy and is continuing work on space optimization project for office space to reduce carbon footprint.
In September 2023, TravelWise launched the Stored Value feature of the Corporate Pass. This enabled employees of TravelWise member organizations with a hybrid work environment to continue using the Corporate Pass with Stored Value feature. They can load their Corporate Pass from $10 to $100 and save 15% each time they use the Corporate Pass.
CITY OF CAMBRIDGE
The City of Cambridge had a COVID-19 Work From Home policy and has approved and instituted an ongoing Policy and Procedure regarding working from home.
CITY OF WATERLOO
The City of Waterloo has also established a post-pandemic work from home pilot for City staff. This allows qualifying individuals to work a select numbers of days remotely each week. This reduces commute times and the associated greenhouse gas emissions.
TOWNSHIP OF WELLESLEY
The Township of Wellesley has permanently adopted a compressed work week option which allows the employee to work the same amount of hours in four days instead of five days. By working one less day a week, the Township employees have reduced their travel km by 1,000 and reducing the Township's carbon footprint.
TOWNSHIP OF WOOLWICH
The Township of Woolwich currently has in place a pilot “Work at Home” program, which allows employees to work at home for up to two days per week in most cases where organizational needs can be meet. Before this can become permanent, the pilot program will need to be completed and an associated policy will have to be approved by Council. Lieu time and Overtime HR Policy #19 allows for flexible work schedules.
REEP GREEN SOLUTIONS
Reep Green Solutions transitioned to working remotely when the COVID-19 pandemic began, and has continued to work from home after that. Reep's board approved a Remote Work Policy in 2022 that outlines the parameters, principles and supports available to best assist employees in successfully working from home.
SUSTAINABLE WATERLOO REGION
Numerous members within the Impact Network program at Sustainable Waterloo Region (SWR) continue to incorporate work-from-home and hybrid work policies to reduce their office building and employee commuting emissions. SWR offers many resources to its members which include benefits and the importance of incorporating green policies, ways to engage employees who work remotely, and incentivizing sustainable actions. Additionally, SWR services provide organizations with access to a carbon accounting tool where they report on employee commutes and determine the emissions associated with each trip. This can then illustrate the difference in emissions contributed by having employees commute five days as opposed to one.