Telework is hot, telework centers are not

Speakers discussed the merits of telework centers at the Telework Exchange Town Hall on May 2.

Federal telework is  hot, but telework centers are not, according to speakers at the Telework Exchange Town Hall on May 2.

Some federal agencies had opened regional telework centers as alternatives to home offices. But the facilities, intended to blend the efficiencies of telework with the capabilities of an office, were not popular. The General Services Administration opened more than a dozen telework centers in 2007, but discontinued funding in 2011.

“Just because you build it, it does not mean they will come,” commented Peter Tseronis, chief technology officer at the Energy Department, a moderator at the event.