The U.S. Department of Justice yesterday released the prepared statement of Lee J. Lofthus, assistant attorney general for administration before the House Subcommittee on Oversight and Government Reform concerning telework.

Lofthus said that the DOJ "was one of the first agencies to initiate a telework pilot program through its participation in the 1990 Federal Flexible Workplace Pilot (Flexi-place) Program," and while the DOJ is looking for opportunities to expand telework, some jobs -- such as correctional officers and deputy marshals in courtrooms -- require specific job sites. Because of this, said Lofthus, only about four percent of DOJ staff telework.

"However," continued Lofthus, "eight of our non-law enforcement components have participation rates over six percent; and our law enforcement components continue to look for ways to utilize telework flexibilities. The components with the top four highest participation rates are the Office of Community Oriented Policing Services at 30 percent; the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives at 21 percent; the Office of Justice Programs at 13 percent, and the Civil Division at 12 percent.

"As the head of the Justice Management Division," said Lofthus, "I can report that we have 98 of our employees or 10 percent of the total JMD workforce teleworking. Within JMD, we are working to expand telework participation through a new flexible work schedule program. JMD managers and employees will receive training on our new program to learn how to utilize available work schedule flexibilities in support of maintaining focus on 'mission first.'"

According to Lofthus, telework has become an important part of:

• Human Capital, as it relates to recruiting and retaining a diverse and talented workforce.
• Continuity of Operations (COOP). Lofthus said the number of employees equipped, trained and ready to telework in the case of a long-term crisis, is 4,236.
• Pandemic planning efforts, to continue operations even in the event of an influenza pandemic.