OPM report encourages telecommuting by example

A new study from the Office of Personnel Management cites 13 cases of happy government telecommuters in the hopes of encouraging more managers and employees to initiate and participate in telecommuting programs. The report, "Telework Works: A Compendium of Success Stories," looked at several federal telecommuting success stories to find out what makes them work. It concluded that willing managers, motivated employees and well-defined goals all contribute to successful telecommuting environments in the federal workplace. "We believe that if supervisors and managers can see these positive examples in organizations and positions that are similar to their work situation, they will establish telework opportunities in their offices as well," OPM said in the report. Some common themes emerged from the telecommuting situations OPM reviewed. First, most telecommuters reported increased productivity, reduced stress levels and more efficient use of time. Second, having the same access to e-mail and other office technologies at home as telecommuters had at the office was critical to gains in productivity. "Some [teleworkers] had to purchase their own equipment or use excess computers, others had to pay for phone lines, but all felt that whatever they invested was worth the trade-off," according to OPM. "One of the managers said that she believed that anything the agency spent on computer equipment was worth the productivity and well-being gains for the teleworkers." Finally, OPM identified interpersonal relationships as the area that required the most attention from both managers and telecommuters. "Supervisors reported that they had to be especially aware of including teleworkers by phone when they had meetings in the office [and] some employees said it required more effort to keep in communication with co-workers," the study found. "All reported some difficulty, but nothing that could not be solved by paying attention to it." 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.