• mobilitylab.org site logo
  • Mobility Lab main menu search icon:  click to do a search
    • Understanding Transportation Demand Management
    • Transportation Demand Management In Action
      • Arlington Transportation Partners
        • The Practice of Transportation Demand Management
      • Information and Outreach
        • Commuter Services
        • Messaging
        • Champions Program
      • Learn more about TDM
        • Further Reading
    • Our Research
      • Travel Behaviors
        • Transit
        • Bike
        • Walk
        • Ridesharing
        • Micromobility
      • Arlington Analysis
        • Regional Surveys
        • Evaluations
        • Building Studies
      • Market Profiles
        • All Profiles
    • Transit Oriented Communities
    • Urban Planning
    • Resources
      • The Transportation Cost-Savings Calculators
        • ROI Calculator
        • TRIMMS 4.0
      • Research Data
        • Transit APIs
        • Archived Articles
      • Video Library
      • Infographics
      • Glossary Of Key Terms
    • About Us
      • Meet Our Team
      • Careers

The Practice of Transportation Demand Management

  • Home
  • Transportation demand management
  • Commuter services

Alternative Work Schedules Improve Productivity … And Traffic

November 13, 2012

A person works from a cafe in New York City’s Bryant Park.

My company, Arlington Transportation Partners (a close collaborator with Mobility Lab, and located in the same office suite) helps employers throughout the county with transportation options like tax-free transit benefits, brochure services, and bike commuter facilities.

However, did you know that there are additional commuter benefit policies that have nearly no cost and require less time to implement and manage than other programs? For both small and larger companies, alternative work schedules are a great option that can help alleviate traffic in the area as well as improve productivity and employee satisfaction.

There are several alternative work schedules that employers can offer, all of which could have an immediate impact on employee morale and the company’s overall bottom line.

  • Flextime allows employees to arrive or leave work at different times, giving more flexibility for appointments and responsibilities outside of the workplace.
  • A compressed work week gives employees the option of working either four 10-hour days with the fifth day off, or working 80 hours in nine days, with the tenth day off.
  • Staggered work hours shift employees’ schedules from the normal starting time by 15 minutes or up to 2 hours, so they can avoid rush-hour crowds or traffic.
  • Finally, telework can help workers avoid commuting altogether. By allowing employees to work outside the office, on either an informal or formal basis, work output can increase and will also help reduce the stress caused by daily commutes to the office.

These strategies, while not suitable for all employers, are easy to apply to company policies and can have immediate impacts on productivity, satisfaction, and employee retention.

To read about more of the benefits of alternative work schedules, ATP has a comprehensive webpage with additional information, as well as what we can do to help your company get started on implementing these programs. Feel free to contact ATP with questions or to learn more about what your company can do to make commuting easier for your employees!

This post was originally published by Arlington Transportation Partners.

Photo by Ed Yourdon

 
share this item

Subscribe to Receive Updates on the Latest Mobility Research and Trends

Arlington Virginia Department of Environmental Services

Arlington County Commuter Services (ACCS) is funded in part by grants from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT), the Virginia Department of Transportation (VDOT) and the Virginia Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT)

ACCS Family of Sites
  • Arlington Transit
  • Arlington Transportation Partners
  • Bike Arlington
  • Capital Bikeshare
  • Car Free Diet
  • Car-Free Near Me
  • CommuterDirect
  • CommuterPage
  • Dieta Cero-Auto
  • The Commuter Store
  • Walk Arlington
  • Terms and Conditions
Follow Us
  • facebook
  • twitter
  • linkedin
  • youtube
  • instagram

© 2025 Mobility Lab, a program of Arlington County, Virginia