U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

Telecommuting: Reviewing the Basics

Whether you use the term telecommute, telework, or flexiplace, all three mean the same - an arrangement in which an employee regularly works at an alternate work site such as the employee's home, a telecenter, or other location that allows him or her to accomplish work in an effective and efficient manner. To be formally considered as a telecommuting agreement for reporting purposes, the arrangement must be continuously and regularly used, averaging at a minimum once per week.

The law now requires each Executive agency to establish a policy under which eligible employees may participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance. The law further directs the Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) to assure these requirements are applied to 25 percent of the eligible Federal workforce by April 2001, and to an additional 25 percent of the workforce each year thereafter.

• Benefits of Telecommuting
• Barriers to Telecommuting
• Available Resources
• For Up-To-Date Information on Telecommuting

Benefits of Telecommuting.  The benefits of telecommuting include:

• improvements in employee morale and effectiveness;
• reductions in transportation costs including car insurance, maintenance, and wear;
• retention of skilled employees and reduction in turnover due in part to increased job satisfaction;
• accommodation of employees with short- or long-term health problems or family responsibilities, such as those associated with elder care and latch-key children;
• cost savings to the Government in regard to office space, sick leave absences, and energy conservation;
• better use of employees' peak productivity periods within the limits of established laws;
• reduction in automobile-created air pollution and traffic congestion;
• potential for increased productivity; and
• improved work atmosphere due to fewer co-worker non-business interruptions.

Barriers to Telecommuting. The Interim Report on Telework in the Federal Government, prepared by OPM in June 2001, identified barriers to telecommuting. The barrier mentioned most often was manager reluctance. Managers reported concerns about managing remote workers, due to perceived loss of control over current efficient business operations. Many managers are accustomed to communicating face-to-face. They conduct meetings with staff as a means of keeping abreast of individual and team projects and perceive that the lines of communication close when an employee is working off-site. The narrative reports revealed some managers have difficulty monitoring results of projects when some team members telecommute and others do not. To help man-agers overcome these barriers, OPM plans to:

• offer telecommuting leadership seminars for top-level agency officials;
• broadcast satellite educational programs to Federal agencies;
• offer conferences aimed at agency supervisors and managers;
• publish a guide for managers and supervisors; and
• help agencies evaluate their progress in implementing telecommuting programs.

Available Resources.  The Balancing Work and Family Demands Through Telecommuting guide was issued by the Family Friendly Workplace Advocacy Office within OPM in September 1995. It provides basic guidelines for establishing a telecommuting program. An OPM study released in the spring of this year, Telework Works: A Compendium of Success Stories, highlights successful Federal telecommuting experiences. Employees in the study had formal agreements to work at least 1 day per week away from the traditional office. You can download this report at http://www.opm.gov/studies/FINAL-TELEWRK.htm.

For Up-To-Date Information on Telecommuting.  OPM and the General Services Administration designed a Web site, http://www.telework.gov, to provide one-stop shopping on Federal telecommuting policies. A single location provides access to guidance issued by both agencies and other information on initiatives and activities. You may contact Mallie Burrus with OPM's Family Friendly Workplace Advocacy office at 202-606-5529 for additional information..

Originally published on Fall 2001