New Web site promotes agency telecommuting initiatives

The Office Of Personnel Management and the General Services Administration launched a new telework and telecommuting Web site Thursday to publicize guidance and policies on telecommuting from agencies across the government. OPM and GSA hope agencies will use the Web site to compare, contrast and model telework and telecommuting policies as they craft their own practices. By law, federal agencies must establish policies allowing eligible employees to telecommute. The law also requires OPM to ensure that 25 percent of the federal workforce is participating in telecommuting programs at least part of the time. The new site links to a recent OPM report highlighting telecommuting success stories throughout the federal government, and includes OPM's most recent guidance on telecommuting for agencies and departments. The Web site also includes updated news on telework locations and Occupational Safety and Health Administration guidelines for federal employees who participate in telecommuting programs. So far, the site includes links to guidance from the Coast Guard, the Labor Department and the Internal Revenue Service. The Coast Guard guidance lists specific characteristics that make an appropriate candidate for telecommuting--good time management skills, a full understanding of the organization's operations and being a dependable self-starter who can function independently. Guidance from the Labor Department includes dispute resolution information, while GSA's guidance includes a checklist for workplace safety at the alternate worksite. Federal workers looking for quick answers can refer to the site's frequently asked questions section. OPM is currently evaluating information it collected from agencies on their telecommuting policies, which were supposed to identify positions that lend themselves to telecommuting. Agencies are required to offer employees in those jobs the option of working from home or at a telecommuting center. A report on OPM's findings is scheduled for release in the next few weeks.