Regus offers free local workspaces for Earth Day

This is to help South African employees reduce their carbon emissions for the day by working closer to home.

Unnecessary carbon emissions, wasted time and loss of productivity are just a few of the negatives associated with a lengthy car journey to the office. According to the TomTom Traffic Index, a one-hour car journey in Johannesburg would take an additional 43 minutes during peak traffic periods. On a 30-minute commute, that's 96 extra hours a year behind the wheel, pumping tons of harmful greenhouse gasses into the atmosphere. By offering free flexible work space for everyone, not only is Regus encouraging workplace sustainability, but it also hopes that participating firms will experience the benefits of giving employees flexible work options, such as increased employee productivity.

Tips for employers considering offering flexible work options to their employees:

• Engage with your staff: Learn more about their individual requirements, understanding that there will likely be a broad range of requests. This will help create and shape the office flexible work policy.

• Consider alternate work location options: Long commutes increase stress while decreasing employee productivity and happiness. Allowing an employee to work from home or drop in to a nearby business centre will improve work-life balance and lower commuting expenses. It also promotes a greener corporate culture.

• Measure performance by output: Managing remote employees definitely requires an adjustment, but the process is made easier when clear goals and benchmarks are established. These goals allow managers to focus on the quality of the work being delivered and less on micromanaging.

• Change your communication style: Make sure employees are given the right tools for success while working from alternate locations. Invest in technology options like web-based project management programs and video conferencing to help them stay up to date on projects and office happenings.

Regus is rapidly expanding into suburbs, offering those that travel into cities on a daily basis a second option, with the flexibility of working from a fully equipped, modern business centre that provides all the amenities needed, but closer to home. It also enables businesses to extend flexible working practices to their staff, increasing employee health, morale, loyalty and productivity.