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More than half of federal teleworkers are unsatisfied

  • By FCW Staff
  • Jul 05, 2011

During the past five years, only 37 percent of federal workers have been satisfied with their agency’s teleworking arrangements, according to Government Executive’s "Management Matters" column.

As a result, the article recommends that telework managing officers ask employees how much telework is appropriate, provide a framework for performance and develop a plan to help teleworkers mitigate potential morale issues.

For instance, because only some employees are eligible for telework, it is important to prevent a subculture of haves and have-nots by asking teleworkers to be flexible and responsive to their nontelecommuting co-workers.

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Reader comments

Wed, Jul 20, 2011

I had to fight to get my current supervisor to let be telework. Only the telework law passing got it for me. And I'm only allowed to telework 1 day every 2 weeks! That's not right. I should at least be able to telework once a week. At my old govt. job I could telework once a week and work 4 ten hour days on top of that. So I always had a 3 day weekend. I went into work on telework days for meetings; and when I didn't have enough work to take home. Can't work 4 ten hour days at this newer job either. Bumper. Got promotion though.

Fri, Jul 15, 2011

The notion that the 40 hour workweek, regardless of where the work is done, should be the measuring stick for productivity is senseless to me. Why not focus on productivity as the measure of a successful employee. I don't ever recall my commitments or evaluations being determined by how many hours I work. I get evaluated on my accomplishments.

Fri, Jul 15, 2011 COLUMBUS

I love teleworking. I get so much more done and feel the quality of my work is better. At work I get interrupted a lot at home only occasional when the dog needs out. Which is rare. Sometimes I sit for so long I am stiff when I do get up because of no interruptions. I set an alarm so I can get up and walk every so often. I had my knee replaced and it still gets stiff now and then. How people can not work at home with effeciently is beyond me. They must be people that really don't care about their job. The biggest problem I have with teleworking is trying to get a hold of my supervisor. We are required to be "on line" with the communicator but the supervisor does not have to be. Never know when they are in the office or home working or sick. This of course is a management problem and need to have GOOD supervisors to start with. All in all I enjoy teleworking and the peace and quiet it brings.

Fri, Jul 15, 2011

Telework gives people flexibility. Thats the key. Yes it does require a certain discipline as well. But lots of times while your sleeping, I;m working. There have been many emails sent out after midnight in my cue while my co-workers are in bed im sure of that. So those who think that teleworkers are slackers or don't actually work could be right in some instances like the post that stated those that slack in the office will slack at home as well is a true statement I guess. But telework gives one the option to not be pigeon holed into working from 6:30am to 3pm and sticking strictly to those particular hours...you have the flexibility of being able to work your 8 hours when you want to work them if it fits your schedule to work them at 6:30-3pm or you want to work 6:30-10:30 and then 1-5pm as long as you work your scheduled 8 hours. But I agree I always give more hours than I actually get paid to work no matter what so it doesn't matter whether I am working in the office or out on telework. But no matter what you do have to have integrity to make any system work wouldn't you agree!

Fri, Jul 15, 2011

Telework works in my agency. Employees are reporting that we get more done at home than at work. We're saving gas and helping the environment by staying off the road. I agree if people are slackers in the office they'll be slackers at home and shouldnn't have satisfactory evals anyway which are required to work telework.

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