The Status of Telework in the Federal Government 2005
MESSAGE FROM THE DIRECTOR
I am pleased to present the Office of Personnel Management's (OPM) Report on the Status of Telework in the Federal Government.
This report summarizes findings from our 2004 agency telework survey and highlights the 2004 telework achievements of OPM and our
partners, the General Services Administration (GSA).
Our survey results show the number of eligible teleworkers and teleworking employees throughout the Federal service continues
to grow. In 2004, 140,694 employees teleworked, representing a 37% increase from 2003. The number of teleworkers in the Federal
Government has grown since 2001 with 72,844 teleworkers, in 2002 with 90,010 teleworkers, and in 2003 with 102,921 teleworkers.
With the heightened focus on the integration of telework, Continuity of Operations (COOP) planning, and general emergency
preparedness, telework must continue to be an integral part of agencies' business practices. In the wake of the devastation caused
by Hurricane Katrina, we have seen the importance of telework in responding flexibly to emergency situations - in this case, by providing
a tool to help alleviate the issues caused by steeply rising fuel prices nationwide. Additionally, Congress showed its continuing
interest in telework in the Federal Government through the enactment of Public Law 108-447 in December of 2004, encouraging increased
telework participation in certain agencies.
Telework is an important flexibility which can be used to meet agency human capital objectives, and OPM is committed to supporting
telework and assisting agencies to meet their goals. To this end, OPM is well positioned to provide the technical support and assistance
needed to continue to propel telework into the mainstream culture of Federal organizations.
Linda M. Springer
Director