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2012 EMPLOYER RECOGNITION AWARDS
   
 

2012 Commuter Connections Employer Recognition Awards

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Has your company made commuting changes that have swayed your employees to try an alternative way?

We're interested in hearing your story and passing it on.

Apply now for the 2012 Commuter Connections Employer Recognition Awards!

Get honored for your efforts at our esteemed awards ceremony!

The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments and its Commuter Connections® program would like to invite your company to apply for the 2012 Employer Recognition Awards. The Awards are open to all private sector companies, non-profit organizations, and government agencies within the Washington region.

Nominations for the 2012 Commuter Connections Employer Recognition Awards are now being accepted.

Deadline for applications is January 31, 2012

Winners will be recognized at our annual awards ceremony held in June 2012 in Washington D.C. Click here to see 2011 winners.

 

Commuter Connections encourages area businesses and their employees to adopt alternative commuting methods such as transit, teleworking, carpooling/vanpooling and bicycling. These methods help to mitigate traffic congestion and provide for cleaner air through reduced auto emissions.

The Commuter Connections annual Employer Recognition Awards Ceremony recognizes employers who have voluntarily initiated programs that facilitate the use of such alternatives. Eligible employer programs included those that marketed alternative commuting options, initiated a successful telework program, or provided incentives that made using alternative transportation modes easier and more attractive than driving alone. Applications are evaluated by a selection committee and winners are chosen for their ability to offer measurable commuter benefits that reduce automobile fuel consumption and emissions through fewer vehicle trips and miles traveled. In addition, winners are selected for their altruistic policies that improved the lives of their employees and the region.


Below are the Employer Awards Categories:

Incentives

Commuter Incentives reward and encourage employees for taking alternative means of transportation. Incentives and commuter benefits can come in many forms such as transit and vanpool subsidies, pre-tax transit and vanpool passes and preferred or discounted parking for carpools and vanpools. Other incentives might include offering flex-time schedules or the provision of facilities and equipment such as showers and lockers for those who bike or walk to work, on-site amenities, free shuttle service or laptops for teleworkers. 

Marketing

 Promoting the merits of ridesharing, transit and teleworking within your company is an essential part of a successful commuter program.Companies who educate and advocate alternate commuting options enjoy high employee participation rates in such methods. With knowledge of the available choices, employees are empowered to make well-informed decisions about better and smarter ways to get to work. Marketing of commuter information and available benefits clearly serves as an influential aspect behind helping to change commuter drive-alone patterns.

Telework

2010 awards

 Teleworking (or Telecommuting) from home or from a Telework Center one or more days per week allows employees to dramatically reduce or completely eliminate the time and money spent commuting to-and-from work. For employers, benefits may come in the form of reduced office space overhead, and telework may also help address parking shortages. In addition, teleworking provides for better work/life balance and translates into lower absenteeism, higher productivity and helps businesses attract and retain qualified employees.

Click here for a pdf of the 2012 Nomination Brochure

Two Easy Ways to Apply for the 2012 Nomination

1. Scroll down and fill out the Online Nomination Form
2. Or Click here for a PDF of the Nomination Form and fax or mail it back

Eligibility
Employers in the District of Columbia, Suburban Maryland, and Northern Virginia that have initiated, enhanced, or expanded an alternative commuter or telework program may apply for these awards. These awards are a measurement of 2011 performance. To be eligible, all programs nominated must have been in place before January 01, 2011.


Deadline
Nominations are due by January 31, 2012. Completed nominations should be submitted online or sent to:

Douglas Franklin
Commuter Connections
777 North Capitol St, N.E., Suite 300
Washington D.C., 20002-4290

Phone: (202) 962-3792
Fax: (202) 962-3203
E-Mail: dfranklin@mwcog.org

Instructions
Complete nominations should include all information requested in items 1-6. Supplemental materials may be submitted, but not in place of the questions below.

Employer Recognition Awards Nomination Form 2011

1.)  Contact Information

Name of the program
(if applicable):
Organization:
Street Address:
 
City:
State:
Zip:
Program Contact:
Title:
Name of Person Submitting Nomination Form (if different from above)
Phone:
-
Fax:
-
Email:
Website:
Date Program Began (must have been initiated before January 01, 2011):

2.) Award Categories

Which one of the Award Categories below best describe the focus of your program?

Marketing Telework Incentives

Is there a secondary category you would like to apply for?
(note: you can only win in one category)

Marketing Telework Incentives

3.) Employer Type

Which category best describes your organization?

Private Sector
Non-profit organization
Local, State or Federal Government
Other  

4.) Number of Participants

How many people do you employ in the Washington metropolitan area?
At how many work sites?
What is the annual number of program participants in the Washington
metropolitan area?

5.) Acknowledgement

I acknowledge that I am authorized to submit this nomination form on behalf of my organization and that if selected as a winner, my organization will participate in the awards presentation and that Commuter Connections will promote my organization’s initiatives online and in print.

Signed Title

 

6.) Program Narrative

Please enter a narrative for each of the four sections (A, B, C, D) as described below. Provide a clear, concise description of your program’s activities. Answer and elaborate on as many questions that apply and provide measurable results of your program wherever possible.

If your organization is a previous Commuter Connections award winner, please make clear what new initiatives have taken place and/or what has been done differently to encourage substantial increases in employee participation since last winning.

A: Description of Program

Questions and points to consider:

What was the situation or condition that led to the creation of your program? • What were the program’s goals and how has it been successful in meeting its goals? • What have the results been compared to previous years? • What type of commuter benefits, services, information, or amenities are offered to employees and how many take advantage of each? • How are the various programs promoted within your worksite? • If parking is provided are carpools given discounts or preferential parking spaces? • If transit fare is provided to employees, describe whether it’s subsidized as an out-of- pocket expense by your organization or paid by employees on a pre-tax basis. If subsidized then what is the maximum dollar amount provided? • Do you provide shuttle services between your worksite and nearby transit centers? • Do you have bike racks, lockers or shower facilities? • Are flextime or compressed work weeks offered? • What type of training or amenities are offered to management and to employees who telework? • Is your telework program informal or do you have a formal telework policy?

B: Employer and Employee Benefits

Describe how the program has:

Improved employee morale, productivity, absenteeism? • Increased your organization’s ability to attract and retain qualified employees? • Helped reduce employee commuting times and stress? • Contributed to better employee work-life demands/balance?

 

C: Economic and Financial Benefits

Describe how the program has:

• Helped reduce employee commuting expenses? • Reduced your organization’s costs associated with providing commuter parking and office space? • Provided other dividends for your organization or employees?

D: Environmental Impacts

Describe and quantify the benefits to the community.

Describe how the program has:

Reduced traffic congestion. How many vehicles have be taken off the roads? How many annual vehicle miles have been reduced? • Reduced gasoline consumption and emissions. What is the number of estimated gallons of gas saved annually? • Affected your awareness or support of air quality. Does your organization provide bad air quality alerts to employees and allow teleworking on such days?

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Submit Application Below

Thank you for taking the time to answer the questions in this form. Good Luck!
Winners will be notified by April 2012.

Questions? Call 202-962-3792