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Survey shows strengths and weaknesses of federal telework program Date published: 7/8/2007
THE OFFICE of Personnel Management recently released a report called The Status of Telework in the Federal Government. The reports summarized data for calendar year 2005 from federal agencies that have telework programs. If you are familiar with federal agencies and telework or telecommuting, you know that OPM and the General Services Administration have been promoting this program and pushing agencies to participate for several years now. In fact, it has gotten to the point where any day, I expect the White House to order OPM to have each agency send 20 percent of its work force home to work. I'm joking, but it seems that both OPM and GSA are stopping at nothing to try every chance they get to make telework look like something every agency should be doing. But the fact is, a great many jobs just don't work well in a telework situation. In addition, when you factor in things such as data security, equipment and space requirements, as well as the availability of phone and fax lines, there is no telling where savings end and confusion begins. We all know the potential benefits of telework are substantial. With today's gas prices going through the roof, employees could save a bundle in transportation costs alone. There is also the potential for fewer cars on the roads, less traffic and cleaner air. But in reality, large numbers of employees would have to telework on the same days for that to happen. The program isn't designed for that. I will take a look at the results of the 2005 survey, including the roadblocks federal agencies felt were stopping them from increasing their telework numbers. First, let me give you some background on the history of the survey. When OPM first conducted this survey in April 2001, agencies reported that 53,389 employees were teleworking. In the current survey, which covered all of 2005, agencies reported that 119,248 employees teleworked. By the way, this was down from the 140,694 employees who teleworked in 2004, but that difference is due to a change in the survey questions. In previous years, agencies reported all employees who teleworked, even if it was only one day a year. The new survey reports the number of employees who teleworked at least one day each month.
Citing "obstacles" such as organizational culture and management resistance? Perhaps the inert blob that is the federal bureaucracy would like to join the rest of us in the 21st century? OPM reports nearly 50% of the federal work force is eligible to retire. This strata of bureaucrat entered the work force in the mid 70's -- well before the Internet and IT changed the way the world conducts business. They need to move on. Make room for managers who place productivity over status qou.
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