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This report summarizes an evaluation of the first year of the Cambridge Telework Center, where Minnesota Department of Transportation employee volunteers work one or two days a week instead of commuting to Twin Cities sites. Researchers surveyed participants and their supervisors at the beginning of their involvement, six months later, and a final survey a year later. The surveys asked questions about commuting time and distance, expectations about and experiences with telework, job satisfaction and other work attitudes, job performance, day-to-day operations at Cambridge, and other issues. The Telework Center reduces commuting time and distance by a per day average of 32 miles and 74 minutes. In the first survey, participants and supervisors expected to see improvements in a wide variety of areas, including quality and quantity of work, job satisfaction, and reduced stress. One year later, the two groups reported that most of these expectations were met, and they rated their telework experience as positive. However, according to direct measurements, teleworker job satisfaction and commitment to the organization remained unchanged from the program's start to one year later. The same proved true with job performance.

These are the Appendices for report number MN/RC - 1999-24: An Evaluation of the Cambridge Telework Center.

Report #1 in the Series: Local and Regional Planning, Management, Design and Evaluation of Advanced Transportation Technologies.

If telework is to gain widespread support in government and industry, employers need to be presented with strong evidence that telework is good for their bottom line and industry productivity. This research project proposes to investigate the bottom line (and economic) advantages of telework policies and to provide evidence to employers considering such policies.

The objective of this research is to assess the impact of temporarily shifting the workforce to telecommuting on: (1) workplace policy changes, employee support, and future telecommuting plans, (2) employees’ experience of telecommuting during COVID-19 and forecast of future telecommuting, and (3) differences among geographic areas, life circumstances, and demographic characteristics. The project employed a mixed-method approach, doing focus groups of human resources professionals in April 2021 and surveying workers and employers during the July through September 2021 period. Worker survey: Greater Minnesota respondents were more likely to telecommute no more than one day a week post-pandemic, while Twin Cities respondents were more likely to telecommute two to three days a week. Those with one or more children living at home were more likely to have a formal post-pandemic telecommuting agreement with their employers. Baby boomers were the most likely to telecommute four to five days a week post-pandemic. Gen Z respondents were the most likely to telecommute no more than one day a week post-pandemic. Employer survey: 71.4% of respondents indicated that most employees would return to in-person work post-pandemic, and 24.4% indicated the employers would only support infrequent (less than one day a month) telecommuting post-pandemic. Roughly a quarter indicated their organizations may recruit completely remote talent from outside of Minnesota. Employer representatives, compared to worker survey respondents, were much more likely to indicate their organizations had not developed a telecommuting policy for the future at the time of the survey. Worker survey respondents were much more likely to indicate that employers would support telecommuting anywhere between one and five days a week.

This Technical Summary pertains to report 2022-05, Telecommuting During COVID-19: How Does It Shape the Future Workplace and Workforce?

This Technical Summary pertains to Report 2013-07, “Understanding the Economic Effects of Flexibility through Three Employer Case Studies,” published February 2013.

The purpose of this Telecommuting Feasibility Analysis is to determine the Minnesota Department of Transportation's potential for a greatly expanded telecommuting program, considering such factors as employee job tasks and interactions, recruitment, retention, and training; current and proposed space and equipment costs; and current and proposed state and local regulations under which the department must operate. This document also provides the basis of information for an implementation plan to facilitate an enlarged program.

The Minnesota Department of Transportation is searching for ways to maximize the use of transportation alternatives among single occupant vehicle drivers to (a) reduce traffic congestion, (b) improve the efficiency and sustainability of the regional transportation system, and (c) improve the livability of the Twin Cities region and the competitive advantage of its economy. Multi-Modal Alternative Transportation Study is designed to measure the potential for change in mode shift behavior in a corridor that has alternative infrastructure in place (1-394). The purposes of this study are to: 1. Identify incentives, services and facilities that have the greatest likelihood of changing commuting behavior (use of alternative modes of transportation at least one day per week). 2. Identify groups of individuals for whom the alternative modes have realistic appeal. 3. Establish baseline data from which to measure trends in this corridor over the course of deploying promotional programs (incentives and marketing). 4. Investigate the appeal of alternative modes within a health context. 5. Determine the amount of telecommuting that is taking place and the types of workers who telecommute.