Government Report Shows: "Telework Works"

What do a budget analyst and medical librarian have in common? They both work for the federal government and telework successfully. These and other federal workers are presented as examples of the benefits of telework in an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) study called: "Telework Works: A Compendium of Success Stories". OPM undertook the study as part of their overall effort to encourage federal agencies to offer telework options to more employees. The study provides anecdotal evidence showing that a variety of federal agencies and their employees are benefiting from telework.

One example is a General Services Administration budget analyst who works in the office Monday through Thursday but teleworks on Fridays -- thereby eliminating the stress of a two-hour commute for that one day a week. Her supervisor has noticed increased productivity and accuracy on the part of the teleworker, because there are fewer distractions and interruptions when working at home instead of the office.

Another example is a medical librarian who works for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and teleworks one day a week. Her supervisor didn't think the job lent itself to being done remotely but was convinced otherwise by other department employees, who argued that the planning and coordination work could best be done without the usual interruptions common to an office environment. They were right.

The OPM study includes eleven additional success stories. Collectively these stories present a broad range of benefits that telework offers employees and managers alike. OPM hopes that the study will encourage federal agency supervisors and managers to increase their telework program offerings.