The technology is available to enable secure, efficient access for remote working emergencies and day-to-day operations, but planning ahead is critical. Two agencies show that it can be done.
Telework remains a goal of most agencies. But a combination of technology, employee expectations and legislation can help make it a reality.
The White House issued a statement reiterating the president's strong support for more telework as a means to make the federal government more productive and also to attract some of today's most desirable workers to federal agencies.
The open-source Lightweight Portable Security tool provides trusted endpoints for remotely accessing DOD IT resources from untrusted environments, enabling secure Internet browsing and telework on sensitive systems.
Federal officials and telework experts say government is ripe for making telework a normal part of its work routine, rather than a neglected relative of normal on-site productivity.
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H.R. 1722 will require federal agencies to set up telework plans as part of their continuity of operations procedures.
As legislation requiring agencies to move more aggressively to allow telework comes closer to passage, managers worry about security. A tool the Air Force developed could ease their minds.
The Telework Improvements Act lays out the timeline for agencies to determine which of their employees are eligible to telework and to establish the policies to allow it.
Mobile workers are more likely than officebound counterparts to try to reach blocked web resources -- but not in all categories.
We asked federal managers to share their concerns about telework and then asked management experts to address those concerns. The bottom line? It all comes down to performance management.
One of the most effective ways to overcome management resistance to telework is to start with a pilot project, experts say.