A combination of technical capabilities and policy needs is causing a wave of change in the U.S. government’s attitude toward telework options for its employees. Tools are enabling workers to remain connected from remote locations, and the need to retain  knowledge through personnel turnover is forcing federal employers to adjust their practices.

Cindy Auten is the general manager of Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership that promotes government telework through various initiatives. She says that in the past few years the government has been caught in the midst of a “perfect storm” necessitating more telework options. The government needs to incorporate telework to maintain business continuity; the U.S. Defense Department base realignments and closures are forcing the department to offer telework or risk losing valuable employees; and overall recruitment and retention requires bolstering. In addition, many federal employees will be eligible for retirement in the next few years, and the government is trying to balance retaining their knowledge while bringing in fresh personnel.

Auten shares that government agencies offer telework as a benefit for a better work-life balance, enabling them to retain and recruit as well as remain competitive with the private sector. Not only can employees save money on gas and other commuter-related expenses, they also spend less time on the road and away from home. This is an important benefit in light of a study conducted two years ago that revealed Americans spend more time commuting than on vacation.

Telework is receiving more attention than ever before because of the benefits it offers employers as well as employees. General viewpoints about the advantages of teleworking are changing. Auten states that years ago the attitude about working off-site was that it served as a nice benefit for employees. Now, employers are seeing significant benefits for themselves as well, including saving money and retaining a knowledgeable work force.

Another advantage of teleworking is the employer’s ability to continue operations in the event of an emergency. For example, in June 2006 the Internal Revenue Service building in downtown Washington, D.C., flooded. “They were able to incorporate telework to maintain operations,” Auten explains.

But despite the many advantages of working away from the office, Auten says research shows that 81 percent of telework-eligible employees continue working in the office; however, 79 percent of federal employees said they would use the telework option if it were offered.

On the technology side, various tools are easing the fears many managers had of losing control over employees and of the lack of face-to-face communication when personnel do not work in the office. Videoconferencing and online collaboration tools link employees in different locations allowing them to see and speak to one another as well as work on the same documents online. The widespread use of more basic devices and services such as laptops and broadband also is promoting telework options.

Auten shares that she believes technology that did not exist 15 years ago is fueling telework growth but also adds, “I think it’s a very big cultural issue.” Telework can contribute greatly to work-life balance, but the office environment has to adjust. Employers need to look beyond the technical training to the cultural training for teleworking arrangements to succeed. Employees must be trained and must feel comfortable working outside of the office, and supervisors need to adjust to personnel working in other locations. “The biggest barrier that we’ve seen is the legacy management resistance,” Auten says.

Many managers want control over their employees and take an all-or-nothing approach to permitting telework. Auten explains that employers do not have to worry about never seeing employees again if they embrace teleworking. “The best technique, she shares, is a phased approach that allows everyone involved to become comfortable with the arrangement. Management needs to understand that the changes can be phased in and that they will see their employees again. Focus on work output is critical, she adds. Once this mindset falls into place, the telework becomes almost transparent.

In addition to scheduling and cultural issues, employers and employees must address more practical matters such as information security. In March 2007, the General Services Administration published a Federal Management Regulation Bulletin for the heads of federal agencies titled “Information Technology and Telecommunications Guidelines for Federal Telework and Other Alternative Workplace Arrangement Programs.” An entire section outlines security measures for government teleworking.

Auten believes even more advances in government telework are on the horizon. She shares that Congress already has pushed remote working as important and viable and she believes in 2008 the House and the Senate will advance telework further. In the next 10 years, a new generation of employees who grew up with multiple computers in their homes and the ability to talk to and network with people online should provide a significant push to increase telework options.

Employers interested in offering telework benefits or employees who want to request a telework program can find resources on the Telework Exchange Web site including commuting costs and telework savings calculators. The organization also offers the Online Eligibility Gizmo that helps personnel determine which positions best lend themselves to the telework option.