The City of Powder Springs announced in the following press release that they have been designated a 2022 Changemaker by Georgia Commute Options:

The City of Powder Springs has been recognized as a 2022 Changemaker by Georgia Commute Options, the regional commuting program managed by the Atlanta Regional Commission and the Georgia Department of Transportation. The Changemaker Awards program honors metro Atlanta employers who have demonstrated excellence in developing commuting programs that help enhance mobility and air quality in the Atlanta region.

This designation is in acknowledgment of the City of Powder Springs’ commitment to developing and implementing a telework program for its 69-person staff. When the pandemic forced most office workers to work remotely at the beginning of 2020, Powder Springs faced a hurdle of staying accessible to over 15,000 citizens and 650 businesses. City management brought in help from Georgia Commute Options to build a telework framework, with plans to expand telework options to more members of their workforce moving forward.

Powder Springs’ partnership with Georgia Commute Options enabled them to gather direct input from their employees through focus groups about their work experiences during the pandemic. The city learned that senior staff wanted to find more ways to support employees, especially during the most challenging times of the pandemic, and that employees needed flexible schedules. These insights inspired action from city management, who quickly tailored their telework policy and practices.

In addition to accommodating varying schedules, managers began holding weekly video meetings with each team for casual check-ins to build rapport. To show appreciation to the city’s workers who were unable to work from home, Conner allowed essential employees who had to report for in-field assignments to accumulate extra vacation days, which they could either use immediately or cash out at a later date.

“Powder Springs is setting the right tone,” says Roz Tucker, Georgia Commute Options’ managing director. “This achievement signals their commitment to building a workplace culture that is responsive to their employees’ needs.”

Powder Springs is being recognized as part of the Changemaker Award program’s first class, which includes metro Atlanta employers Hewlett Packard Enterprise and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).

“We are delighted to be a part of the first class of Changemakers,” says City Manager Pam Conner. “Our partnership with Georgia Commute Options has helped us use telework to sustain our operations while giving our employees more flexibility during the pandemic. We appreciate the recognition and look forward to continued collaboration that supports the goal of reducing congestion and improving air quality in metro Atlanta.”
To learn more about Georgia Commute Options, visit: www.gacommuteoptions.com