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April 28, 2009 By Matt Williams
Should the current swine flu outbreak worsen, it could present a huge test of government's ability to work remotely.
Although the current outbreak remains far from a pandemic, thousands of suspected and confirmed swine flu cases -- most of them concentrated in North America -- had been reported worldwide as of Tuesday. In a worst-case scenario, government agencies in the U.S. could be forced to enact emergency business continuity plans that include telework for government employees.
But a big unknown is if governments, including technology-focused departments, are truly ready to let workers telecommute, as a means of slowing the influenza's spread. According to a December 2008 report from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 60 percent of federal agencies had included telework in their continuity of operations/emergency plans in 2007; only 42 percent of them did so in 2006.
Furthermore, some states' emergency plans for pandemics include teleworking as a strategy, while others don't, said Cindy Auten, general manager of the Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership that promotes teleworking in the federal government. The situation varies widely state to state, she said.
"One of the issues we found, in particular with the federal government, is that only about 7 percent of these eligible employees are regular and recurring [telecommuters]," Auten said Tuesday. "One of the key strategies in having a business continuity plan and incorporating telework into it, is ensuring that you're testing it often and you build telework as a part of your standard operating procedure -- so it's not a frantic, mad rush to the door to actually start your telework program at the last minute."
But Auten said it's not too late for government agencies that don't have a teleworking plan. The first step should be identifying mission-critical personnel and equipping them with the technology and policies to do their job remotely, she said.
"From an IT standpoint, the technology is absolutely there. The majority of governments already have the infrastructure in place. They're working with field workers who are logging in remotely, so they're already having the access. It's just a matter of putting the guidelines in place," Auten said.
Auten pointed to Virginia and its Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance as a model that's worth emulating. The office's "telework road map" outlines Virginia's definition of telework and how to start a teleworking program, provides tips for managers and employees, and explains how to secure sensitive data when working from home. Virginia requires all government agencies to have a teleworking policy. For example, half the work force of the Virginia Information Technologies Agency telecommutes at least part-time.
The National Association of State Chief Information Officers (NASCIO) outlined recommended actions for CIOs in a 2007 paper titled, Pandemic Planning and Response for State IT: Where's My Staff? The 15-page report suggests a variety of measures, such as teleworking, cross-training personnel so they can cover a variety of roles in the event that many employees are absent and ensuring key officials have permission to drive a "priority connection" through a PBX phone system if Internet service goes down. It's those sorts of capabilities -- unique to a pandemic -- that are important to plan for.
But CIOs shouldn't assume their department will always have access to Internet service or their phone systems, because a pandemic could cause absenteeism across the supply chain -- potentially even among Internet service providers and telecom companies.
"This could greatly affect teleworking technologies and [
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Although telecommuting is an invaluable tool for stemming the spread of swine flu, an antiquated tax rule threatens the federal government's ability to use this form of social distancing effectively. Under a rule known as the "convenience of the employer" rule, states can tax nonresident telecommuters, not only on the wages they earn in the state, but also on the wages they earn at home - in another state. Since the states where telecommuters live can also tax the wages earned at home, telecommuters are double taxed on those wages. New York State has become notorious for its aggressive application of the convenience of the employer rule. If, for example, a Connecticut resident develops swine flu symptoms - or must care for a family member who has developed symptoms - and he arranges with his New York office (say the U.S. EEOC) to telecommute, he will owe taxes to Connecticut on the wages he earns in Connecticut. Under the convenience of the employer rule, New York can slap him with a second tax bill on the same wages - a stiff penalty for trying to protect his co-workers in New York from infection. In the last session of Congress, lawmakers proposed a bill called the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act, which would have barred the double taxation of interstate telecommuters, prohibiting states from taxing the income nonresident telecommuters earn in their home states. To assure that state tax policies do not undermine federal efforts to promote telework as a tool for containing a public health crisis, Congress should enact the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act now.
Although telecommuting is an invaluable tool for stemming the spread of swine flu, an antiquated tax rule threatens the federal government's ability to use this form of social distancing effectively. Under a rule known as the "convenience of the employer" rule, states can tax nonresident telecommuters, not only on the wages they earn in the state, but also on the wages they earn at home - in another state. Since the states where telecommuters live can also tax the wages earned at home, telecommuters are double taxed on those wages. New York State has become notorious for its aggressive application of the convenience of the employer rule. If, for example, a Connecticut resident develops swine flu symptoms - or must care for a family member who has developed symptoms - and he arranges with his New York office (say the U.S. EEOC) to telecommute, he will owe taxes to Connecticut on the wages he earns in Connecticut. Under the convenience of the employer rule, New York can slap him with a second tax bill on the same wages - a stiff penalty for trying to protect his co-workers in New York from infection. In the last session of Congress, lawmakers proposed a bill called the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act, which would have barred the double taxation of interstate telecommuters, prohibiting states from taxing the income nonresident telecommuters earn in their home states. To assure that state tax policies do not undermine federal efforts to promote telework as a tool for containing a public health crisis, Congress should enact the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act now.
Although telecommuting is an invaluable tool for stemming the spread of swine flu, an antiquated tax rule threatens the federal government's ability to use this form of social distancing effectively. Under a rule known as the "convenience of the employer" rule, states can tax nonresident telecommuters, not only on the wages they earn in the state, but also on the wages they earn at home - in another state. Since the states where telecommuters live can also tax the wages earned at home, telecommuters are double taxed on those wages. New York State has become notorious for its aggressive application of the convenience of the employer rule. If, for example, a Connecticut resident develops swine flu symptoms - or must care for a family member who has developed symptoms - and he arranges with his New York office (say the U.S. EEOC) to telecommute, he will owe taxes to Connecticut on the wages he earns in Connecticut. Under the convenience of the employer rule, New York can slap him with a second tax bill on the same wages - a stiff penalty for trying to protect his co-workers in New York from infection. In the last session of Congress, lawmakers proposed a bill called the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act, which would have barred the double taxation of interstate telecommuters, prohibiting states from taxing the income nonresident telecommuters earn in their home states. To assure that state tax policies do not undermine federal efforts to promote telework as a tool for containing a public health crisis, Congress should enact the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act now.
Although telecommuting is an invaluable tool for stemming the spread of swine flu, an antiquated tax rule threatens the federal government's ability to use this form of social distancing effectively. Under a rule known as the "convenience of the employer" rule, states can tax nonresident telecommuters, not only on the wages they earn in the state, but also on the wages they earn at home - in another state. Since the states where telecommuters live can also tax the wages earned at home, telecommuters are double taxed on those wages. New York State has become notorious for its aggressive application of the convenience of the employer rule. If, for example, a Connecticut resident develops swine flu symptoms - or must care for a family member who has developed symptoms - and he arranges with his New York office (say the U.S. EEOC) to telecommute, he will owe taxes to Connecticut on the wages he earns in Connecticut. Under the convenience of the employer rule, New York can slap him with a second tax bill on the same wages - a stiff penalty for trying to protect his co-workers in New York from infection. In the last session of Congress, lawmakers proposed a bill called the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act, which would have barred the double taxation of interstate telecommuters, prohibiting states from taxing the income nonresident telecommuters earn in their home states. To assure that state tax policies do not undermine federal efforts to promote telework as a tool for containing a public health crisis, Congress should enact the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act now.
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Video Conferencing Helps Maintain Business Continuity During Swine Flu Outbreaks http://blog.tandberg.com/?p=437&cid=04US060060008 Cheers!
Video Conferencing Helps Maintain Business Continuity During Swine Flu Outbreaks http://blog.tandberg.com/?p=437&cid=04US060060008 Cheers!
Video Conferencing Helps Maintain Business Continuity During Swine Flu Outbreaks http://blog.tandberg.com/?p=437&cid=04US060060008 Cheers!
Video Conferencing Helps Maintain Business Continuity During Swine Flu Outbreaks http://blog.tandberg.com/?p=437&cid=04US060060008 Cheers!
Hi Nicole, I did not realize that this tax existed. Do you have an update on any changes to the legislation?
Hi Nicole, I did not realize that this tax existed. Do you have an update on any changes to the legislation?
Hi Nicole, I did not realize that this tax existed. Do you have an update on any changes to the legislation?
Hi Nicole, I did not realize that this tax existed. Do you have an update on any changes to the legislation?
Hi Jeff, On May 21, Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) reintroduced the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act. The legislation has the support of both Democrats and Republicans, including the support of lawmakers representing states from east coast to west. The bill is currently pending before the House Judiciary Committee. As you may know, this week, the Obama Administration specifically encouraged businesses to incorporate telework in their swine flu preparedness plans. However, the punitive tax currently imposed on interstate telecommuters will deter employees from adopting the practice and make it difficult for businesses to increase their reliance on telework. To assure that both employers and employees can use telework to stem the spread of illness and sustain business operations in the event of a surge in absenteeism, Congress should act quickly to pass the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act.
Hi Jeff, On May 21, Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) reintroduced the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act. The legislation has the support of both Democrats and Republicans, including the support of lawmakers representing states from east coast to west. The bill is currently pending before the House Judiciary Committee. As you may know, this week, the Obama Administration specifically encouraged businesses to incorporate telework in their swine flu preparedness plans. However, the punitive tax currently imposed on interstate telecommuters will deter employees from adopting the practice and make it difficult for businesses to increase their reliance on telework. To assure that both employers and employees can use telework to stem the spread of illness and sustain business operations in the event of a surge in absenteeism, Congress should act quickly to pass the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act.
Hi Jeff, On May 21, Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) reintroduced the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act. The legislation has the support of both Democrats and Republicans, including the support of lawmakers representing states from east coast to west. The bill is currently pending before the House Judiciary Committee. As you may know, this week, the Obama Administration specifically encouraged businesses to incorporate telework in their swine flu preparedness plans. However, the punitive tax currently imposed on interstate telecommuters will deter employees from adopting the practice and make it difficult for businesses to increase their reliance on telework. To assure that both employers and employees can use telework to stem the spread of illness and sustain business operations in the event of a surge in absenteeism, Congress should act quickly to pass the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act.
Hi Jeff, On May 21, Representative Jim Himes (D-CT) reintroduced the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act. The legislation has the support of both Democrats and Republicans, including the support of lawmakers representing states from east coast to west. The bill is currently pending before the House Judiciary Committee. As you may know, this week, the Obama Administration specifically encouraged businesses to incorporate telework in their swine flu preparedness plans. However, the punitive tax currently imposed on interstate telecommuters will deter employees from adopting the practice and make it difficult for businesses to increase their reliance on telework. To assure that both employers and employees can use telework to stem the spread of illness and sustain business operations in the event of a surge in absenteeism, Congress should act quickly to pass the Telecommuter Tax Fairness Act.