Title: Telework Insights from the General Services Administration
Author:
Section/SPIG: Health Administration
Issue Date:
If you are considering implementing telework in your organization, a good place to visit is the GSA's Working for America Interagency Telework site located at <http://www.telework.gov/>.
Why should you be interested?
If you are in the federal government you know that there is a big push to enlarge the number of suitable employees that can telework. If you are in the public sector you likely have one or more employees that are already teleworking or you are considering telework for your employees.
At the GSA site you will learn which staff are good candidates for teleworking. The following is a truncated list of characteristics of good candidates for teleworking. These are employees who:
- Need little supervision and don't mind working alone.
- Have good organizational skills and self-discipline.
- Can be available, if necessary, to communicate with co-workers and customers via e-mail or phone.
- Have a place to work that is free of interruptions and offers a safe environment for government property.
- Live within commuting distance because they will probably continue to perform some of their work at the office.
- Are required to write or perform computer-related tasks.
The OPM Telework Manual (http://www.telework.gov/documents/tw_man03/index.asp) is quite useful to review. You can get answers to frequently asked questions, hints for helping your employees adapt to telework, and a telework agreement that can be adapted for your own setting. Also helpful is a supervisor checklist to "ensure that telework requirements are met and that covered employees understand the policies and procedures of the telework program." Issues of fairness and equity are discussed in the Maintaining Balance in the Office section.
Other Locations for Information on Telework
If you are interested in learning more about telework, look at some of the European and Canadian sites listed by Google. Telework.com is also a useful site for resources on telework. Telecommuting is the older term but still turns up many hits on Google.