Telework participation still lags behind interest

Interest in telework continues to run high for federal employees, but just 51 percent of workers are eligible to work away from the office, according to a report from a Herndon, Va.-based technology distributor.

The report found that 36 percent of the federal workforce has been given the option to work away from the office and 45 percent of workers say their managers view telework favorably. Nineteen percent telework, the report stated.

The report by CDW Government Inc. is based on a survey involving 139 federal employee interviews and an online survey of 148 federal information technology professionals. The company is a subsidiary of CDW Corp. and sells computers and other accessories to federal, state and local government agencies as well as educational institutions.

Of the responding workers, 74 percent said improved commuting times were the reason they preferred telework; 60 percent said work flexibility. Thirteen percent said they would not telework if given the option.

"The benefits of telework are simply too great to delay any longer," said Jim Shanks, CDW Government president. "With a clear understanding of what the real problems are, federal policymakers and industry leaders now have a real opportunity to resolve them."

Since some agencies face financial penalties from Congress, interest in telework has risen. Two Republican congressmen from Virginia, Frank Wolf and Tom Davis, tout telework as a means to reduce Washington metropolitan area traffic and decentralize the federal workforce, which would make it more difficult for a terrorist attack to bring the government to a halt.

The Commerce, State and Justice departments and the Small Business Administration have to make telecommuting available to all eligible employees by Feb. 8 or, according to language in the 2005 Consolidated Appropriations Act, $5 million will be withheld from their budgets. The language does not specify what makes an employee eligible for telework, however, leaving that determination up to the agencies.

Wolf's spokesman, Dan Scandling, said agencies are becoming more aware of telework and that it's unfortunate that Congress has to use the threat of budget penalties as an incentive.

"There's a heightened sense of awareness," Scandling said. "I think agencies are aware; it's trickling down."

According to the survey, only 24 percent of federal information technology professionals were aware of the fines for agencies in the 2005 appropriations legislation. Scandling said this is changing.

Jim Kane, president and CEO of the industry-funded Software Productivity Consortium, said the interest in telework does not surprise him. New policies are needed to adapt to the information age because "a lot of policies are based on an industrial age mindset," Kane said. "You have the funding, you have the technology, but you don't have the policies."

"We have this idea that we've got to be in the office at your desk," Kane said. "But I'm sitting at a computer desk for eight hours. Could I do that at home? Well, I could."

William M. Mularie, CEO of the federally sponsored Telework Consortium, said he thinks the study accurately portrays the situations in the government.

"The federal telework policy was written when one communicated by telephone, by computer Web browser or fax," Mularie said. "What we've done is shown that you can see people or collaborate on documents using very rich media … now your boss can see you, and you can show him pictures of the kids."