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Telework Week Yields Productivity, Environmental Benefits

Participating teleworkers, largely from the federal government, report increased efficiency and job satisfaction.

Mobile Work Exchange, a public-private partnership devoted to demonstrating the value of mobile work and telework, recently completed its third annual Telework Week. Described as a global endeavor, the event drew more than 136,000 participants, with more than 80 percent coming from the federal government.

Expected savings were realized by would-be commuters, who avoided more than 15 million commute miles they would have racked up had they been driving or using public transportation to get to and from their offices. This equates to 7,892 tons of pollutants saved, according to Mobile Work Exchange.

Close to 75 percent of participants in Telework Week reported that they were more productive while teleworking versus in the office, while two out of three would favor a prospective position if a telework option is offered. Their bosses describe program participants as equally productive or more productive compared with a regular day of office work. Two-thirds of teleworkers that took part in the event report that management is more open to telework options than they were one year ago.

The most popular tools factoring into effective teleworking for this group were laptops, VPN connections and smartphones. Fewer report tapping into virtual desktops, video conferencing and other collaboration tools.

“Organizations are faced with many challenges – delivering results, improving productivity, balancing costs, and retaining a valuable work force to name a few,” said Cindy Auten, general manager of Mobile Work Exchange. “It [telework] can improve productivity in your organization. It can serve as a strong morale booster for employees. It can maintain continuity in the midst of a disruption."

Telework Week took place during the week of March 4, 2013.

Photo credit: iStockphoto

Noelle Knell is the executive editor for e.Republic, responsible for setting the overall direction for e.Republic’s editorial platforms, including Government Technology, Governing, Industry Insider, Emergency Management and the Center for Digital Education. She has been with e.Republic since 2011, and has decades of writing, editing and leadership experience. A California native, Noelle has worked in both state and local government, and is a graduate of the University of California, Davis, with majors in political science and American history.