INTERNAL SERVICES DEPARTMENT NOVEMBER 15, 2019 THROUGH FEBRUARY 14, 2020
LOS ANGELES COUNTY OFFICIAL TELEWORK QUARTERLY PROGRESS REPORT QTR 2
TELEWORK PILOT PROGRAM WEWORK EL SEGUNDO
In August 2019, the County of Los Angeles implemented a one-year pilot program referred to as the Coworking Space Demonstration Project. The program allows employees from different County departments to telework at an alternative worksite in which they share the same office spaces. The offices are located in privately-owned buildings in which membership is required for use of the facilities. The membership-based occupancy model is a newer workplace alternative to facilities that are owned or leased by the County. The County agencies participating in the program include the Internal Services Department, Human Resources Department, Child Support Services Department, County Library, and Department of Public Health. All participating departments have worked collaboratively toward achieving the objectives of the demonstration project. However, the information in this report is intended to provide an overview of the teleworking activities and observations specific to ISD.
CONTENTS:
02 BY THE NUMBERS 03 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 04 PARTICIPATION RATES 05 ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT 06 COMMUTING 07 PERSONNEL IMPACT 08 TELEWORK EXPERIENCE 09 HIGHLIGHTED PARTICIPANTS 14 OPERATIONAL IMPACT 15 FISCAL IMPACT 16 ACTION ITEMS 18 APPENDIX
TELEWORK PILOT PROGRAM
QTR2
reduced gas consumption by
1,471
gallons
$4,782
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY BY THE NUMBERS
227 ISD Employees Teleworked
Saved on gas reduced roundtrip commutes by approximately exepenses
1,370
32,376 Equivalent of
4.6
total days Teleworked
passenger vehicles taken off the rode for one year.
reduced CO2 emissions
21.8 metric tons
2
miles
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Internal Services Department (ISD) is an active participant in the pilot program for the purposes of assessing best case scenarios for teleworking and operational impacts. The first quarterly report provided a broader discussion of background information and key observations for the period of August 15, 2019 through November 14, 2019. This report provides an overview of observations from November 15, 2019 through February 14, 2020.
A total of
227
ISD employees teleworked at a shared office location during the
first 6 months of the coworking pilot. ISD employees teleworked approximately
32,376
1,370
days and reduced their roundtrip commutes by
miles.
ISD employees reduced gas consumption by an estimated
$4,782 on gas expenses. CO2 emissions were reduced by approximately to
4.6
21.8
1,471 gallons, saving
metric tons, which equates
passenger vehicles being taken off the road for one full year.
A survey of ISD’s top teleworkers revealed a satisfaction rating of
4.96
(on a
scale of 1-5). Feedback
from
the
survey
of
ISD’s
top-teleworkers
also
biggest benefits experienced by all participants was a
and car expenses as
well as better
work-life balance.
3
revealed
that
the
reduction in commute
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT In 1995, the Air Quality Management District (AQMD) implemented Rule 2202 as an air quality mandate for employers with 250 or more employees to reduce vehicle emissions generated from employee commutes. Average Vehicle Ridership (AVR) credits are assigned to assist employers with meeting an annual emission reduction target. AVR credits can be achieved through a variety of strategies including compressed work schedules, rideshare programs and incentives, and teleworking. Teleworking has been proven as the best method to decrease greenhouse gas emissions, vehicular traffic and parking congestion. The coworking pilot can assist the County with additional opportunities to earn AVR credits (Average Vehicle Ridership) including reducing travel distance to the worksite by 50% or more during the morning rush hours. The data used to determine commute reduction benefits was extracted from the coworking reservation system and calculated using the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency greenhouses gas equivalencies calculator.
ISD TELEWORKING SURVEY COMMUTER EXPERIENCE A few notable assessments of the data collected from the online reservation system prompted an interest in refining certain data factors, including: How to validate the actual distance and time that an employee travels from home to a primary work location as compared to an assigned coworking center, in contrast to GPS assumptions on commuting routes? How to reconcile distance and time calculations for employees who enter a zip code rather than a home address? How to verify that the utilization rate observed for alternate modes of transportation was a behavioral change influenced by teleworking? To address these inquiries, ISD studied a select group of teleworkers to determine the impact on data when factors such as commuting time and routes are more accurately measured.
The respondents were selected based on criteria extracted from the coworking reservation system, including: Number of telework days registered from August 15, 2019 through February 14, 2020. Commute distance from home to primary work location compared to a coworking center.
FINDINGS
Collectively, the 24 survey-participants teleworked 624 days during the first 6 months of the pilot program and reduced their commutes by 22,140 miles. CO2 emissions decreased by approximately 18.9 metric tons, which is equivalent to 1.9 passenger vehicles being removed from the road for one year based on the combined emission reduction. All participants reported teleworking at least once a week, with 11 participants reporting an average of twice a week. 6 participants reported (on telework days) they changed their mode of transportation from driving alone to an alternative mode of transportation, thus reducing their emissions to zero.
DESCRIPTION
In February 2020, ISD conducted a survey of 24 employees who teleworked the most frequently within the first 6 months of the pilot. Data was obtained on primary work location, work schedule, job classification, commute experience, and work-life balance.
5
PERSONNEL IMPACT Research has shown that there are many employee-related benefits experienced from teleworking. It offers shorter commutes, which can result in freeing up more time for daily life and other passions. Examples of the other notable benefits include stress-reduction by spending less time in traffic congestion, reductions in vehicle-maintenance related expenses, and reductions in fuel and parking fees. Additionally, employee productivity tends to increase because of greater job satisfaction and fewer workplace interruptions.
NOVEMBER 2019 ISD TELEWORKING SURVEY TELEWORK EXPERIENCE FINDINGS
On a scale of 1-5, the average rating on the participants’ overall experience in the coworking pilot is 4.96. All participants expressed that teleworking improved their productivity. Examples cited include less stress from commute and more positive attitude toward County/Dept. by being able to achieve a greater work-life family balance. When asked about what they enjoyed most about the pilot program, participants cited reduction in commute and car expenses as well as better work-life balance as being the top benefits of teleworking. When asked about any drawbacks or what they would change about the pilot program, participants indicated they would like the ability to telework more days per week as well as increase the number of coworking centers (currently 5 locations). This would allow greater commute reductions and the potential use of alternate modes of transportation.
The 24 survey-participants were asked to provide feedback on their experiences at the coworking centers to assess how teleworking has impacted work-life balance. The results of the survey can be reviewed on the following page. In addition, pages 9-13 feature 5 survey testimonials to highlight some of the feedback shared about the “employee experience” and how the pilot is assisting to create better work-life balance.
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OPERATIONAL IMPACT Teleworking has been observed in creating a positive work environment for staff by supporting worklife balance and encouraging effective working relationships centered on trust between supervisors and subordinate staff. This has assisted the Department operationally by facilitating positive communication about work-performance expectations, accountability, and teamwork. In addition, telework can improve operational effectiveness and performance for the Department in the following key areas: Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP), attendance, employee recruitment/retention, and improving the availability of limited parking spaces and office space. During the second quarter, ISD Executive Management examined how the coworking pilot can assist with its emergency preparedness by serving as alternate work locations for COOP.
CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS PLAN (COOP) The COOP is a national objective to ensure that government agencies can continue to perform primary mission essential functions during a broad range of emergencies. Teleworking at coworking facilities can provide the Department with a practical application to activate COOP and measure staff preparedness in the event of an emergency when the regular worksite is inaccessible.
FINDINGS
The coworking centers are centrally located and closer in proximity to most employee residences than current ISD facilities. All facilities conveniently offer 24/7 access making them easily accessible in the event of an emergency. All teleworkers have been granted remote access to their computer network and files as needed. The majority of teleworkers have been assigned a laptop computer, but there are 4 Hosted Virtual Desktops (HVDs) available at each location to assist teleworkers that do not currently possess laptops.
Employees are actively engaging in demonstrating the Department’s COOP on a daily basis by performing their normal business processes remotely with limited to no service interruption to the Department or its customers. The coworking pilot has allowed the Department to analyze its current processes to better invest in new workflow models that are more efficient and allows staff to be more mobile. Additional research and observation will be needed to fully analyze the Department’s ability to deploy employees to the coworking centers for a COOP activation. ISD is currently devising a plan to conduct a COOP demonstration drill that would include the utilization of coworking centers as alternate work locations. The goal of the drill would be to evaluate the Department’s readiness in maintaining normal business processes in the event of an emergency, as well as maintain effective communication amongst staff, Managers, and customer Departments. The findings from this deployment will be presented in a future report.
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FISCAL IMPACT Research has shown that teleworking initiatives can have a huge impact to employers by offering many cost-saving benefits. For example, the federal government’s Congressional Budget Office’s estimated cost-saving of over $70 million dollars over a 5-year period to implement a telework program throughout government offices ($30 million) versus having a single-day shutdown of federal offices due to an emergency ($100 million).
FINDINGS
The Department plans to analyze potential cost-savings experienced by the coworking pilot in future reports. The focus will be on surveying any reduction in expenses due to the three main categories previously identified: environmental compliance, personnel, and operational impact.
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ACTION ITEMS FOR 2ND QUARTER
01 02 03 04 05 06 07 08 09 10 11
Key Performance Areas Continue and
to
evaluate
operational
best
Comments
case
impacts
scenarios
relative
for
to
teleworking
COOP
environmental
Survey
compliance, employee recruitment and retention, continuity of
operations
planning,
accommodations,
parking
employee
availability,
attendance,
office and
drill
planned
Departmental
DHR
Surveys
Pulse Fiscal
Analysis
space
internal
communications.
WeWork Keycards
Comments
Pursue an arrangement to obtain extra keycards from
ISD
WeWork.
2019.
County Participants
Comments
Assist
the
Child
Support
Services
Department
in
its
negotiated
in
December
CSSD enrolled in January 2020 and
start-up efforts to participate in the pilot program.
has high levels of participation.
Open House
Comments
Schedule
“open
house�
visits
for
managers
and
employees to tour different coworking centers.
ISD Open House with Management staff conducted December through February.
Add Coworking Center
Comments
Consider the feasibility of adding another coworking
TBD
center
along
the
eastern
boundary
of
Los
Angeles
County (e.g., Diamond Bar).
Telework Videos
Comments
Develop more videos highlighting the experiences of
ISD Annual Report.
See page 17.
teleworking among managers and employees.
Scale Workspace
Comments
Downsize shared office spaces with low participation
In progress.
levels.
Distance and Time Benefits Assess
coworking
center
locations
Comments that
have
measurable
reductions in both commute distance and travel time for the majority of teleworkers. reductions
in
commute
Compare distances,
to
locations
but
limited
that
Survey-analysis
of
the
24
employees
that teleworks the most frequently.
have
savings
in
travel time and CO2 emissions.
Commute Preferences Assess more
coworking frequently
center
Comments locations
use
where
alternative
employees
modes
of
survey-analysis of the 24 employees that teleworks the most frequently
transportation instead of driving alone.
Technical Onboarding
Comments
Develop onboarding process for teleworkers that provides
Coworking
specific recommendations on computer hardware, software
resource for staff. Additional technical
and network access in order to work remotely.
resources being developed.
"Dog Days"
Comments
Explore
opportunities
and
protocols
for
allowing
employees to bring pets to WeWork on certain days.
*Completed
Guidebook
provided
as
TBD
16
ISD TELEWORKING VIDEO ITEM 06 OF ACTION ITEMS FOR 2ND QUARTER
Video highlighting the experience of teleworking among managers and employees.
17
ISD RESIDENCY MAP APPENDIX
A.
ISD HEADQUARTERS CAMPUS EMPLOYEES
ISD DOWNEY ADMINISTRATION FACILITY EMPLOYEES
ISD has more than 1,800 employees of varying job classifications. The majority of employees commute to the ISD Headquarters Campus and Downey Administrative Facility. The following map geographically illustrates where employees reside throughout the region. 18
COWORKING CENTERS APPENDIX AUGUST
15,
2019
B.
AUGUST
15,
2019
WEWORK – BURBANK
WEWORK – EL SEGUNDO
3900 W. Alameda Avenue
222 Pacific Coast Highway
Burbank, CA 91505
El Segundo, CA 90245
2 large office workspaces
1 large office workspace
53 desks, chairs and file cabinets
29 desks, chairs and file cabinets
3 small interior offices within space
Large credenza and white boards
Keycard access to office space doors
1 small interior office in workspace with wall
Monthly credits that can be used for meeting
mounted video monitor
rooms and photocopiers
Keycard access to office space door
Complimentary coffee, tea and fruit infused
Monthly credits that can be used for meeting
water
rooms and photocopiers Complimentary coffee, cappuccino, Tea, and fruit infused water
SEPTEMBER
3,
2019
AUGUST
15,
2019
WEWORK – LONG BEACH
WEWORK – PASADENA
100 W. Broadway
177 E. Colorado Boulevard
Long Beach, CA 90802
Pasadena, CA 91105
2 large office space
1 large office space
32 desks, chairs and file cabinets
28 desks, chairs and file cabinets
1 small interior offices in workspace
2 small interior offices in workspace
Keycard access to office spaces
Keycard access to office spaces
Monthly credits that can be used for meeting
Monthly credits that can be used for meeting
rooms and photocopiers
rooms and photocopiers
Complimentary coffee, tea and fruit infused
Complimentary coffee, tea and fruit infused
water
water
NOVEMBER
4,
2019
TAILOREDSPACE – WEST COVINA 1730 W. Cameron Avenue West Covina, CA 91790 5 office spaces 20 desks and chairs Access to office spaces via mobile app and metal keys Monthly bank of hours are allotted for the use of meeting rooms Monthly limit for photocopies Free onsite parking for employees and visitors
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Complimentary coffee, tea, bottled beverages, chips, and snacks