Experts weigh in on what makes telecommuting work

October 24, 2001

Executive Editor

Experts stressed that telecommuting programs must be pliable. "Yes, you should have written policy and procedures, but [they should be] flexible enough so that exceptions can easily be accommodated," one government expert said. "I don't see the set of …recommendations …as the tablets of Moses." The study, which GSA has distributed to all agency telework coordinators, concluded that telework planning should incorporate successful private sector strategies into a program that is tailored to the needs, requirements and structure of each agency.

Federal agencies should look at best practices in the private sector when crafting telecommuting plans and should ensure that they tailor their plans to the needs of their particular organization, according to a new report from the General Services Administration. GSA's Governmentwide Telework Team Leader Wendell Joice worked closely with the International Telework Association & Council (ITAC) in drafting the report, "Expert Consensus on Recommended Practices for Telework Program Success." GSA asked 62 experts, people who have had experience with more than one telecommuting program in either the public or private sectors, to assess 33 telecommuting practices created by a panel of private sector, nonprofit and government experts established by ITAC in 1999. An interim report on telecommuting released in September by the Office of Personnel Management showed that the number of federal employees participating in telecommuting programs remains small. According to OPM, just 2.6 percent of the 1.7 million civilian federal employees telecommute at least once a week. That percentage rises slightly when you include employees who telecommute less than once a week. By law, federal agencies must establish policies allowing eligible employees to telecommute. At least 76 agencies reported to OPM that they have telecommuting policies in place covering the majority of their employees, but another 18 agencies said they had no plans in place. GSA's report offers suggestions for agencies fine-tuning programs or drafting them from scratch. "For those people who have programs, I would look at the report to see if the findings could help them refine it in any way to make it even more successful," Joice said. Of the 33 recommended telecommuting program components, experts identified seven as "essential to the success of a telework program." Those components include:

Developing clear, measurable program goals.
Appointing an 'executive champion,' a senior-level manager who can provide general support and guidance.
Appointing a telework program manager/coordinator to lead the planning and implementation of the program.
Requiring telework training for managers of employees who telecommute.
Ensuring that performance appraisals for telecommuters follow the same procedures and guidelines as those applied to other employees.
Assessing technology needs for telecommuters.
Establishing formal arrangements for technical support.

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