What are advantages of teleworking?

Answer 1

Telework programs benefit employees, organizations, and the environment. A few key benefits are highlighted below:

Benefits to employees:

• Improved Work/Life Balance: Teleworking reduces commuting time and offers employees flexibility to manage work/life balance. Telework Exchange research finds that the average Federal employee spends 245 hours commuting each year, but can get 98 hours of their life back by teleworking two days per week. In addition, the study finds Americans spend more time commuting than on vacation. ("Federal Telework. No Free Ride," Telework Exchange study, November 2005)
• Cost Savings: Research shows that teleworking one day per week delivers approximately $2,000 in savings to each teleworker annually. ("What We Saved; What We Learned," Telework Exchange study, September 2009)
• Improved Productivity: Teleworkers maintain performance and productivity. 66 percent of managers who manage teleworkers find that teleworkers are as productive as their in-office counterparts. ("Face to Face with Management Reality -- A Telework Research Report," Telework Exchange, January 2007)

Benefits to organizations:

• Recruitment and Retention: Teleworking can improve personnel recruitment and retention. Research finds that compressed work weeks/telework options are key job perks. ("Generation Y in the Federal IT Workplace," Telework Exchange, November 2007)
• Business Continuity: Telework is a vital part of agency Continuity of Operations (COOP) plans. During both minor events, such as a snow storm, and major events, such as when an agency building is unusable, telework can be used to continue agency operations. The OPM Planning for Pandemic Influenza includes the following: "Telework allows the Federal Government to remain responsive to the nation's needs at all times and should be an integral part of any agency's plans for COOP." (Office of Personnel Management, "Planning for Pandemic Influenza")
• real estate Savings: Telework programs reduce office space requirements and costs. The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) reports that telework has enabled the agency to avoid $11 million in additional office space costs. (United States Patent and Trademark Office, "2008 Telework Annual Report")

Benefits to the environment:

• Less traffic on already congested roads
• Reduced wear and tear on all modes of transportation
• Reduced pollution: If all Federal employees who are eligible to telework full time were to do so, Feds could eliminate 21.5 billion pounds of pollutants out of the environment each year. ("Telework Eligibility Profile: Feds Fit the Bill," Telework Exchange, February 2008)

For more information, resources and tips on teleworking, visit Telework Exchange at www.teleworkexchange.com. You can use the Telework Savings Calculator to determine how much you could be saving by teleworking and the Online Telework Eligibility Gizmo to determine if you are eligible for a telework program.