Forty-three percent of U.S. government employees sometimes
telecommute instead of driving into the office, up from 19 percent
a year ago, according to a survey released Monday.
The survey, released by government-focused IT vendor CDW
Government Inc. (CDW-G), found that 28 percent of federal IT
workers surveyed said they believe that their agency provides IT
support to all eligible teleworkers, up from just 5 percent of
respondents in 2005.
The survey, of 542 U.S. government workers and another 235
federal IT professionals, found that federal employees with the
option to telecommute are happier with their jobs. Ninety-one
person of those with the option to telecommute were either very
satisfied or satisfied with their jobs, compared to 80 percent of
those employees who did not have the option. Eighty-four percent of
federal government employees would telecommute if given the option,
the survey said.
Telecommuting provides several benefits, including employee
satisfaction and retention, said Max Peterson, vice president of
CDW-G's federal division. Having telecommuting plans in place can
allow federal agencies to function in times of natural disaster or
terrorism attacks, and it can help relieve congested roadways and
combat air pollution in the Washington, D.C., area, he said.
Telecommuting can save employees' gas money and give them some
flexibility in dealing with personal issues, he added. "As the
federal government tries to hire and maintain a quality workforce,
telework can be a significant benefit," Peterson said.
Eighty percent of federal employees who prefer to telecommute
said the elimination of their commute was a major reason; another
68 percent said great work flexibility was also a major reason.
Despite the benefits, telecommuting raises some concerns among
federal IT workers, the survey said. Fifty-three percent said
information security is the biggest challenge associated with
telecommuting. The second and third largest concerns were service
and support (26 percent) and collaboration (16 percent).
A change in organizational attitude remains a hurdle at some
agencies, Peterson said, even though the U.S. Congress passed a law
in 2000 requiring federal agencies to create plans where eligible
employees "may participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent
possible without diminished employee performance."
"Technology is only part of the answer," Peterson said. "To be
successful, we've got to work from telework capability to telework
in action."
Other results from the survey:
-- In 2006, 46 percent of federal IT professionals said their
agencies have written IT policies for telework, compared to 34
percent in 2005.
-- Fifty-four percent of federal employees said their managers
view telework favorably, compared to 45 percent in 2005.
-- For federal workers who would not telecommute if given the
option, 47 percent said isolation is the primary deterrent,
followed by 42 percent who simply do not want to be at home.
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