Telework Endorsement from the Top

Do you feel like your boss or your agency isn't enthusiastically embracing the idea of telework? Now you can remind them that none other than the president of the United States firmly backs the idea.

In a statement today recognizing National Work and Family Month, President Obama stressed the importance of workplace flexibility:

There are steps we can all take to help - implementing practices like telework, paid leave, and alternative work schedules - and my Administration is committed to doing its part to help advance these practices across the country. And within the federal government, we have followed the lead of many private sector companies when it comes to increasing workplace flexibility.

Here's Obama's full statement:

THE WHITE HOUSE

Office of the Press Secretary

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

October 25, 2010

Statement by the President on National Work and Family Month

National Work and Family Month serves as a reminder to all of us, especially working caregivers, their families, and their employers, that while we have made great strides as a nation to adopt more flexible policies in the workplace, there's more we can do. Millions of Americans continue to struggle day-in and day-out to balance work and family life - to juggle their job responsibilities with caring for a child, an elderly relative, or a loved one with a disability. This is something Michelle and I understand - it wasn't too long ago that we were both working full-time outside the home while raising two young daughters.

There are steps we can all take to help - implementing practices like telework, paid leave, and alternative work schedules - and my Administration is committed to doing its part to help advance these practices across the country. And within the federal government, we have followed the lead of many private sector companies when it comes to increasing workplace flexibility. Because at the end of the day, attracting and retaining employees who are more productive and engaged through flexible workplace policies is not just good for business or for our economy - it's good for our families and our future.