S
outh Bay Cities Council of Governments
South Bay Green Business Assist Program
Newsletter
| October 2018
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The opportunities to take the "next step" to becoming a Green Business are many. They range in terms of expense, return on investment and, of course, time to implement. The types of options range from implementing energy efficiency measures to producing your own energy through solar panels to providing electric vehicle charging stations for workers to charge zero emission vehicles. There are any number of ways to make a difference.
This month's newsletter looks at flexible hours and telecommuting for employees. Flexible schedules regularly appear at the top of many wishlists of benefits that employees want most. Telecommuting is part of a flexible schedule, and according to a study by FlexJobs, 3.9 million employees work from home at least half of the time - 2.9% of the entire U.S. workforce. Providing opportunities for flexible hours and/or telecommuting have positive benefits for employers and employees and is another way for business to be "Green".
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Let Your Employees Flex Their Hours
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A flexible work arrangement is an alternative to a traditional work schedule
 that can help employees better manage their work-life balance. Flexible schedules can accommodate almost all types of jobs and are an effective business strategy for a changing workforce.
What can flexible work arrangements do for employers and employees?
- Enhance recruitment and retention by appealing to the best talent.
- Reduce turnover of valued staff.
- Increase employee engagement, job satisfaction, and morale.
- Increase productivity and reduce absenteeism and tardiness.
- Allow employees to meet both organizational needs and personal commitments, such as medical appointments, school, accommodate child care.
- Support your company's sustainability goals by reducing employers' carbon footprint and reducing air pollution.
What do flexible work arrangements look like?
- Flexible work arrangements come in various forms and could include:
- Flexible schedules - employees shift commute times to avoid peak congestion. Shifts as small as 15-30 minutes can dramatically improve their travel experience.
- Compressed work weeks - employees agree to work the same number of hours in fewer days (e.g. 40 hours in 4 days or 80 hours in 9 days).
- Staggered work hours - different employees stagger their starting and ending times by 15 minutes to 2 hours.
- Job-Sharing - two part-time employees jointly do a full-time job.
How else can employers offer more flexibility?
In addition to offering flexibility on when work is performed, employers can offer telework options allowing for flexibility on where work is performed. Selected employees can work at home or at an off-site location close to home on a part-time to full-time basis. Employers could consider telework for selected employees 1-2 days per week or even 1-2 days per month.
Why offer flexible work arrangements or telework?
These arrangements help employees reduce their carbon footprint. In shifting their schedules, employees can avoid the crowds on transit or experience less traffic on the streets and freeways. Flexible work can also help accommodate carpool arrangements and bus timetables. With teleworking, employees can skip a commute trip altogether.
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Of the many options where a company can have an immediate "Greening Impact", there is one that companies may already be doing! It's a workplace strategy that positively affects the company's bottom-line, employee morale and has a huge environmental impact for the community, at large....It's "The Trip Not Taken!!"
California State University Dominguez Hills (CSUDH) and the SBCCOG have partnered in a State funded study called the "Go Virtual Initiative": A comprehensive study of South Bay companies and their experiences with flexible work practices. Does your company use or is it considering these types of "flexible workplace strategies"? If so, we'd like to learn more and share your best practices and experiences we'd love to hear from you.
"GO-Virtual Initiative" (Owners; HR Managers; Project Managers; ETCs; Senior Managers) is hosting a complementary lunch and to share your company's best practices, challenges, and experiences using flexible workplace practices.
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 8, 2018
NOON - 1:30 PM
SOUTH BAY CITIES COUNCIL OF GOVERNMENT OFFICE
20285 S. WESTERN AVE., TORRANCE, CA 90501
RSVP by Monday, November 5th
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West Basin & MWD Offer FREE Landscape Transformation Classes& MWD Offers Turf Rebates
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The Metropolitan Water District (MWD) will offer a rebate of $1 per square foot for turf removed from residential and commercial landscapes. West Basin Municipal Water District will be partnering with MWD to offer homeowners a free class designed to help transform your lawn into a more water-efficient landscape. West Basin will be hosting classes throughout the South Bay from November 2018 through March 2019.
During the class, residents will learn how to:
- Remove existing grass
- Plan a sustainable garden design
- Prepare a healthy soil for plants
- Incorporate a water-efficient irrigation system
- Plant climate-appropriate plants
- Maintain a new, drought-tolerant landscape
Please share this with your employees. And, for more information, or to register for classes, please click here.
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West Basin Municipal Water District
Landscape Transformation Class
Thursday, November 15, 2018
6:30 P.M. - 8:30 P.M.
Redondo Beach
For more information on how to register,
click here.
The "GO-Virtual Initiative": Discussion of Flexible Workplace Practices
Thursday, November 8, 2018
12:00 - 1:30 P.M.
Torrance
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The SCE Energy Education Center offers classes, workshops, seminars, demonstrations and technical consultations to help your business find cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions. For more information, visit
SCE Energy Education Center
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The SoCalGas 8th Annual
Foodservice Equipment Expo
Tuesday and Wednesday,
October 23-24, 2018
For more information and how to register: socalgas.com/expo
The SoCalGas Energy Resource Center (ERC) offers seminars, demonstrations and consulting services to help your business find cost-effective and energy-efficient solutions. for more information, visit
this link.
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