GovernmentExecutive.com

More than four months after its launch, the Telework Exchange has produced a free newsletter intended to spur the growth of teleworking in federal agencies.

The four-page newsletter contains no advertisements and has four articles on telework, including a profile of a Federal Emergency Management Agency employee who works from home.

The Telework Exchange is an Internet-based for profit venture of the Alexandria, Va.-based O'Keeffe and Co., an events and marketing firm that manages the Web site.

The group is funded by several information technology companies interested in promoting telework among federal workers, including Vernon Hills, Ill.-based CDW Government Inc., whose study is featured prominently on the newsletter's front page. Others include the Santa Clara, Calif.-based Intel Corp., Fort Lauderdale, Fla.-based Citrix and Sunnyvale, Calif.-based Juniper Networks, which recently launched an advertising campaign targeting civilian government workers in the Washington, D.C., region.

O'Keeffe President Steve O'Keeffe would not reveal how much the companies pay for their participation in the Telework Exchange.

The organization was unveiled in April at The Washington Post Co.'s FOSE trade show in conjunction with an announcement from the O'Keeffe company regarding the defunct Chief Information Security Officers Exchange, a project intended to create a public-private forum for discussing government cybersecurity issues. The group drew criticism for its model of charging information technology companies for participation in policy-related discussions with government officials and was disbanded about a week later.

The Telework Exchange has avoided similar criticism primarily because the group is not directly sponsored by any government groups. O'Keeffe said the goal of the Telework Exchange is to create collaboration between the government and the private sector.

"[The General Services Administration] has been very supportive," O'Keeffe said. "I think as interest grows from the government, with gas prices risings and concerns in the agencies of continuity of operations, there is very significant interest in telework."

One feature on the Telework Exchange's Web site allows visitors to calculate the amount spent annually commuting to their jobs.

Currently, the calculator figures that more than $4 million and 6 million pounds of pollutants associated with commuting are saved by teleworkers, and that an additional $22 million and 34 million pounds of pollutants would be saved if telework was more available. These figures are based on the 3,500 government workers that have calculated their commuting costs on the Web site's system.

A "water cooler" discussion page for government teleworkers, or people who want to start working away from the office, is available on the site for people with e-mail addresses ending in .gov, .us, .mil or .edu.

COMMENTS

• Why keep on beating a dead horse?!?!?!? Telework has been around since the early 1990's!!! If it ain't gonna happen by now, it ain't gonna happen no matter how high the price of gas goes up! DUH!! The government agencies that allows telework, only allows a small 'controlled' group of employees approved by management. Since there is a snow ball's chance in 'you know where' that any management personnel way over their retirement years will be forced out any time soon, let's re-align our priorities, and put the money and efforts elsewhere like finding a cure for Cancer, Diabetes, or Aids...just to name a few! A-76'd Career Federal Employee Posted August 27, 2005 9:19 AM
• This is an excellent article that emphasizes the benefits of teleworking. Miami, unfortunately, has minimal mass transit available to employees and many, or most employees, must commute from one county to another, often 30 or more miles each way. While most CBP uniformed officers would realize little benefit due to their constant rotations and movements; there are many non-uniformed personnel who would benefit. Despite my constantly sending these messages to my supervisor; there's no hint of "Senior Management" giving this progressive idea the slightest thought. Of course in CBP, if you mention a good idea to a senior manager, they immediately resent it because it's not "their" idea; therefore you're open to ridicule, harassment and eventually retaliation. Hopefully, we can create a grass-roots movement and get someone in our Washington HQ to to think out of the box, as they say. I know it's wishful thinking, and have been in the government too long. As they say, common sense died years ago. Too bad, if this caught on, it would save gas, help the environment and actually raise some folks moral which is at the absolute lowest in CBP. This makes sense, therefore, will never happen !! Mark Edwards Posted August 22, 2005 6:35 AM