Working from home (sometimes referred to as 'teleworking') for just one day a fortnight will reduce an employee's commuting trips, and therefore fuel costs and emissions, by 10%. It is an increasingly popular option for both employers and employees as it improves productivity, reduces the need for office space and car parking demand, and saves time.

Another possible option is to allow a more flexible working environment for employees. It may be possible for staff to vary their hours and avoid rush-hour traffic for example. It may also be possible to allow staff to work 9 days in every fortnight, or 4 days a week, assuming longer working hours for each working day. Some employees may be better suited to this flexible arrangement than others.

There are many advantages to more flexible working hours and working from home. Staff can find it easier to balance work and home life and reduced journey times resulting from more flexible hours can mean more efficient working. The home environment is often quieter and easier to work in than the office and staff can fit more into the working day without the need to commute or leave the house for lunch. Clearly there will also be a reduction in car parking pressure.

Promote the idea of flexible working hours and of working from home to your employees. Working from home requires a certain level of technology to be made available to employees to enable them to work effectively and to stay in touch with the office. A laptop with e-mail connections and a telephone line or mobile phone will allow your staff to function just as well at home as they would in the normal workplace.

You may want to consider a review of the core working hours, opening the office earlier in the morning and closing later at night to accommodate the varied working hours of your staff.