What would your day be like if your commute to the office was simply a few steps down the hall? While working from home isn’t about bunny slippers, it is about employee satisfaction and productivity.
And it’s working well for the over 3,000 Enterprise employees who work from home, including the recent addition of more than 500 Fleet Operations employees.
Enterprise Fleet Management’s work-from-home program all started with a space issue. Fleet Management grew – and continues to grow – so rapidly it ran out of room in its St. Louis office. Planners considered moving or adding on. There was also a third option: reducing space needs by moving some employees into work-from-home arrangements.
After surveying employees, the overwhelming result was a preference to implement a work-from-home solution
Logging on
The program kicked off in 2018. Thanks to employee testimonials and overall success, all but four employees in the department now take part.
Because employees enjoy and benefit from the Enterprise culture and collaborating in-person with their coworkers, most employees split time between working at home and the office.
Vendor Support Coordinator Andrea B. says the arrangement is wonderful. She works from home two weeks at a time, then goes into the office for a week.
“My whole team feels we’re more efficient at home because we eliminate many common office distractions,” she says. Collaboration doesn’t suffer while apart thanks to instant messaging, calls and Zoom meetings.
Customer Support Advisor Ryan B., who works from home every other day, echoes the sentiment.
“This arrangement has improved our quality of work because it gives everyone a change of pace,” he says. “I also like being with people and am a visual learner, so I enjoy having the luxury of both settings.”
Remote opportunity
What Andrea and Ryan appreciate most about working from home is the extra personal time it provides. Andrea estimates she saves three hours of prep and travel time on the days she works from home. That’s similar for Ryan, who travels 90 miles round trip to work. He gets to spend a lot more time with his three kids when he works from home.
“I log off, close my office door and I’m home – ready to jump into dinner and play with my kids,” he says. “I’m also not tired and worn out from fighting the traffic, so I’m able to enjoy my time with them more.” Savings on vehicle maintenance and gas are commonly-held benefits, too.
The official numbers support Andrea and Ryan’s experiences.
“The best thing about all of it is employees asked for this,” says Tom G., Vice President of Fleet Operations. “But it’s been beneficial for everyone. Productivity is increased, which helps the organization remain competitive and results in better rates for our clients. Everyone feels like a winner.”
Interested in a work from home position at Enterprise? Check out our openings and apply now.
