Survey: U.S. federal workers lack telecommuting choices

Nearly two-thirds of U.S. government employees haven't been allowed to telecommute even after the U.S. Congress has established penalties for agencies that don't allow telework options, according to a survey released this week.

The survey, conducted by government-focused IT vendor CDW Government Inc. (CDW-G), found that 35 percent of respondents said they are not eligible for teleworking, and another 14 percent were not sure. Only 36 percent of respondents said they've been given the option to telework, and 19 percent said they have used technology to work from home or other places away from the office. But 87 percent of employees surveyed would telecommute if given the chance.

The survey of 139 federal employees and 148 government IT workers, with a margin of error of about 7 percent, was conducted through the Internet and through live interviews at car pool and lunch locations frequented by federal employees.

CDW-G sees "substantial benefits" in allowing federal employees to telecommute, said Max Peterson, vice president of federal sales. Several studies suggest that employees who telecommute are more productive and happier with their jobs, he noted. In the Washington, D.C., area, telecommuting also can alleviate pollution and severe traffic problems, he said.

In addition, a law passed by Congress in 2000 required federal agencies to create plans where eligible employees "may participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance." In November 2004, Congress approved an appropriations bill that would withhold US$5 million from the budgets of the departments of Commerce, Justice and State, and other agencies, unless the agencies create teleworking policies. The agencies are required to report on their compliance by Tuesday.

Representative Frank Wolf, a Virginia Republican, pushed for the provision as a way to provide federal employees flexibility, said Wolf's spokesman Dan Scandling. "The (survey) results didn't come as a surprise," Scandling said. "Progress is being made, but there's still a long way to go."

In addition to thinning traffic around Washington, D.C., telecommuting leads to employees who stay in their jobs longer, Scandling said.

Among the studies supporting the advocates of telework was an October 1999 study by Telework America that showed employees who telework can save their agencies up to $10,000 per year in reduced absenteeism and retention costs.

Peterson and Scandling agreed that the attitude about telecommuting still needs to change in many federal agencies. Some federal employees may avoid telework because they believe managers will discount their work when they're "out of sight and out of mind," Peterson said.

"A lot of it is dialog and communication, and that's exactly why we commissioned this particular study," he added. "We do believe there's such an opportunity for federal workers, for federal agencies."

Other results of the survey:

-- 45 percent of those surveyed said their employers view teleworking positively, while 26 percent said their employers view it negatively.

-- 82 percent believe their co-workers have a positive view of teleworking.

-- 33 percent of federal IT workers said their agencies have a plan to provide technical support to teleworkers, while 30 percent said their agencies do not. The rest were unsure.