Do a Twitter search on the word “telework” and you’ll find all kinds of tweets, ranging from “Yay, no commute--I get to telework tomorrow” to “Managers aren’t buying into telework.” There are articles and blogs throughout the Internet discussing this topic of telework and how it will impact federal agencies and DC government contractors.
If you peel back the layers of misinformation about how employees can’t possibly have the technology necessary to do their jobs effectively or how managers can’t keep tabs on lazy employees, you’ll find the true stories of telework.
For example, Danette Campbell, Senior Adviser for Telework with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, was featured in a GovernmentExecutive.com article, sharing that the organization’s 13-year-old telework program now has more than 5,600 employees working successfully from home at least one day per week. She writes that PTO has created a workforce that can work seamlessly from remote locations with all business units now participating in the telework initiative.
Campbell suggests having the right tools and structure in place has enabled their telework program to be successful. She points to the following as essential pieces to the telework puzzle:
- Appropriate eligibility criteria
- Pilot programs
- Collaboration tools
- IT and non-IT training
- Enterprise-wide policy and business unit guidelines
- Clear performance measures, and labor-management partnerships
It’s these telework success stories that are beginning to emerge that will convince skeptical managers and agencies that telework can truly work as long as the right solutions are in place.
DC Telework Solutions are available to help agencies and DC government contractors make the transition to working remotely streamlined and successful, so that productivity can remain high and flexibility can increase.
To learn more about DC Telework, Executive Office Spaces, and other cost-effective business solutions visit Metro Offices online at www.metroffice.com.