The report, Federal Telework Progress Report: Making the Grade?, revealed that 86 percent of those surveyed, including federal telework managing officers, believe that they will meet the act’s June 7 deadline to establish a telework network. Eighty-four percent of respondents said they’d also be able to determine their agency employees’ eligibility to telework.
In addition, 76 percent of the 391 respondents said they’d be able to notify employees of their eligibility by the deadline.
“This report demonstrates that we are making progress and that agency heads are committed to implementing telework policy across the board,” said Congressman John Sarbanes, D-Md., author of the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, in a statement.
Underwritten by Juniper Networks, a network infrastructure provider, and released by Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the value of telework, the report collected data from an online survey conducted from May 9-23. Eighty-eight percent of respondents were federal civilian workers, while 12 percent came from Department of Defense agencies.
A full copy of the report is available on Telework Exchange’s website. Telework Exchange and Juniper Networks will also host a free webcast on July 19 to discuss federal telework progress and best practices.
Best Telework Cities Ranked
Telework has been embraced by a number of cities nationwide. In a recent study conducted by Microsoft, Atlanta was tagged as the top U.S. city in how well it supports teleworking. The report, Work Without Walls, surveyed more than 4,500 IT workers from 15 cities. More than half of the respondents said their companies have adopted a telework policy.
“Telework is no longer a company perk for employees, but a business imperative,” Ron Markezich, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group, said in a statement. “Ten years ago, it was seen more as an employee benefit. Today businesses around the world are seeing telework as a necessity.”
