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WORKPLACE TRENDS
WICHIT CHANTANUSORNSIRI
Starting today, civil servants under the Fiscal Policy Office will be able to gain a measure of relief from the daily traffic congestion and soaring energy prices under a new work-at-home pilot project.
Finance Minister Surapong Suebwonglee said the programme, first proposed in 2004, was finally being put into action as global oil prices continue to set new highs each day.
''Thailand consumes as much as 1.5 million barrels of oil per day. Put another way, oil costs as much as 19% of the country's gross domestic product,'' he said.
''In contrast, developed countries such as Japan have energy costs of just 8% to 9% of GDP. Thailand must take steps to improve the efficiency of our energy use.''
Dr Surapong said the government's mass-transit programmes would help reduce energy use in the transport sector. Authorities are planning to invest 770 billion baht over the next five years on five new mass transit routes in Greater Bangkok.
Other infrastructure megaprojects are planned to help upgrade the country's logistics networks, including an expansion of Suvarnabhumi Airport.
Overall, Dr Surapong said the government hoped to reduce energy consumption to 11% to 12% of GDP by the next decade.
Working at home, telecommuting and flexible-hours programmes represent just one element of the policy.
While many private companies offer employees different choices, public agencies are increasingly looking work-at-home as a means of not only reducing energy costs, but as an employee benefit.
Among public agencies, the Bank of Thailand initiated a work-at-home programme last year, under which qualified staff could choose to work at home one day of the week.
Pannee Stawarodom, the director-general of the Fiscal Policy Office, said that under the ministry's pilot project, staff could choose to work four days per week at the office and select either Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays to work at home.
Staff working at home on any given day will be rotated to ensure that office work is not affected through the week. The pilot project, which will be limited to units that have limited public interaction, runs until Sept 30, 2009.
A total of 166 people in the FPO's research department have applied for the programme, representing 41% of the office's total staff and 79% of its researchers.
The FPO will provide laptop computers for staff working at home.
Mrs Pannee said work efficiency at the FPO was projected to rise by 14% under the programme, with preliminary surveys showing staff at home actually worked longer hours than at the office due to the elimination of travel time and less stress.
The Fiscal Policy Office also expects to reduce its electricity bill, now 380,000 baht per month, by up to 20% as less demand will fall with fewer people in the office.
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