The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) fired up its first telework initiative in 1995. Although its teleworker population today is not as large as that of some other agencies, the NRC's strategy to identify new and improved ways to overcome hurdles that arise has resulted in an extremely successful telework program.

"The agency is always looking at how we can do this better," says Jeanne Dempsey, telework coordinator for the NRC, noting that she recently chaired an agency-wide Telework Working Group that has developed a report and several recommendations. The findings currently are being reviewed by NRC senior management. "A key factor is that you have to get your senior leadership to buy into the concept, and I would say that has definitely happened here."

In 2007, 272 NRC employees teleworked on a fixed schedule at least one day a week and some as many as four days a week. Many others are situational teleworkers who participate occasionally on a project basis. "The feedback we get from those that use it is overwhelmingly favorable," Dempsey says.

One reason is that NRC telework advocates work hard to strike a balance between promoting the program while respecting requirements to meet the core agency mission. "We don't want to be overly prescriptive or restrictive," she explains. "We give general guidance in our telework policy, but ultimately leave the final decision about who teleworks and how often to our managers."

To determine eligibility, the NRC emphasizes position first (Are the duties portable?) and then the individual employee in that position (Is this person working at an acceptable level of performance? Can they work independently?). There are also no restrictions on when new employees can begin to participate in the telework program, a critical point since the NRC has hired a number of new staff in recent years.

"Basically, telework participation is determined on a case-by-case basis, although we encourage it to the extent we can," Dempsey says. If managers (or employees) are hesitant about telework, she notes, they are usually asked to give it a try before ruling out the option. "What can sell telework is letting someone try it and prove that it can work for their position. Because telework is one of those things that if you've never done it, it may be hard to understand how beneficial it can be," she says, adding that a good starting point for most managers and employees is one day per pay period.

Another best practice is to constantly build awareness among employees. The NRC hosted a Telework Promotion Day in April 2008 that drew hundreds of employees. The event included demonstrations of remote-access work capabilities; promotional materials and Q&A sessions with managers, teleworkers, and representatives of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU); and in-person testimonials from satisfied teleworkers. In addition, over the summer, when gas prices hit their peak, the NRC's executive director sent an agency-wide announcement to remind eligible employees that telework was a money-saving option that could help them better balance their work/life responsibilities, and save fuel and other commuting costs.

"I think those periodic reminders are really important, because circumstances change over the course of individual careers," Dempsey says. "There are people who might not have been interested a year ago but who might find telework beneficial to them now, and there are those who are not interested now but might be ready to try it in two years. So you've got to make sure that everyone is aware of it on a continuous basis."