Why is telework underutilized by Federal agencies, and what programs, guidelines, training, technology, and other facilitators are necessary to enable more Federal employees to work remotely? These questions and others were the focus of a November 6, 2007, hearing titled "Telework: Breaking New Ground" before the U.S. House of Representatives Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia.
House of Representatives, Committee on Oversight and Government Reform,
Subcommittee on Federal Workforce, Postal Service, and the District of Columbia
November 6, 2007
Hearing: Telework: Breaking New Ground
Witnesses
Government:
Daniel Green , Deputy Associate Director, Center for Employee and Family Support Policy, Office of Personnel Management
Stan Kaczmarczyk , Principal Deputy Associate Administrator for Government-wide Policy, General Services Administration
Lee Lofthus , Assistant Attorney General for Administration, Department of Justice
Margaret Peterlin , Deputy Undersecretary of Commerce for Intellectual Property and Deputy Director , U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce
Bernice Steinhardt , Director, Strategic Issues, Government Accountability Office
John Wilke , Trademark Examining Attorney , U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, Department of Commerce
Non-Government :
Ann Bamesberger , Vice President, Open Work Services Group, Sun Microsystems
Stephen W. T. O'Keeffe , Executive Director, Telework Exchange
Haywood Talcove , Vice President, Public Sector Americas , Juniper Networks |
Chairman Danny Davis (D-IL) opened the session with an overview of Office of Personnel Management (OPM) definitions of telework and a review of current Federal regulations that require each executive branch agency to establish a telework policy.
Chairman Davis stated, however, that telework still "is not being used to the extent it should be," citing a recent OPM report that found that less than seven percent of 1.8 million Federal employees participated in telework during 2005.
Given this result, Chairman Davis invited a number of witnesses (see sidebar) to discuss why the adoption rate of telework programs is lagging across the Federal government and what can be done in the near-term to overcome barriers and foster broader participation in agency telework programs.
Chairman Davis added that, in collaboration with Reps. John Sarbanes (D-MD), Frank Wolf (R-VA), and Henry Waxman (D-CA), he has introduced the "Telework Improvement Act of 2007" to "break new ground by ensuring that eligible Federal employees have the opportunity to telework and that agencies are incorporating telework into their Continuity of Operations Planning (COOP)."
At the Subcommittee's request, representatives from several Federal agencies addressed the Subcommittee, including OPM, the General Services Administration (GSA), the Government Accountability Office (GAO), the Department of Justice, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). These speakers discussed their agency's experience with telework, lessons learned, key success factors, and the criticality of providing the necessary tools and training to facilitate effective programs for employees and managers alike.
Bernice Steinhardt, director of strategic issues at GAO, acknowledged that Congressional leaders are "frustrated" that agencies have not been more aggressive in implementing their telework programs and recommended that OPM and the Chief Human Capital Officers Council (CHCO) collaborate closely to sort through the issues and impediments to expanding telework programs.
Consistent, manageable metrics are needed to measure telework participation, Steinhardt said, yet many agencies' time and attendance systems still do not support this requirement. In general, she explained, agencies do not have clear telework goals nor the necessary oversight tools and personnel in place to "manage for results."
Margaret Peterlin, deputy director of the USPTO, provided advice based on her own agency's successful effort to implement telework. She suggested that agencies:
- Train all participants to ensure successful outcomes
- Identify the necessary preconditions to make telework support agency productivity and mission objectives
- Begin with pilot programs
- Measure results on a regular basis, survey participants, and be willing to make adjustments along the way
Stephen W.T. O'Keeffe, executive director of Telework Exchange, reported that if all eligible Federal employees teleworked two days a week, they would collectively save $781 million annually and that "the average Federal employee commuting five days a week disperses eight tons of pollutants into the environment each year."
O'Keeffe went on to review a number of "telework roadblocks," including significant management resistance to Federal telework adoption - the number one obstacle to progress - followed by a lack of dedicated agency resources to supporting telework programs, security misconceptions about telework, and pervasive confusion within and among agencies regarding employee eligibility for existing telework programs.
The hearing closed with John Wilke, a successful USPTO teleworker who testified by Webcam from his home office in Long Grove , Ill. He demonstrated exactly how he works on a daily basis, collaborating in real-time with colleagues using the tools and systems made available to him by his agency.
Mr. Wilke explained that he rejoined Federal service as a trademark examining attorney after twenty years in the private sector. He noted that the ability to work in his hometown, near family and friends, while remaining engaged in his chosen profession, were key factors in his decision to return to work for the USPTO.
For more information and the complete testimony of all witnesses at this hearing, please visit http://federalworkforce.oversight.house.gov/story.asp?ID=1597 .
