A recent report issued by Telework Exchange and the National Science Foundation (NSF) fully supports the hypothesis that managers who telework at least occasionally are more likely to have a positive view of telework.
"Telework Under the Microscope - A Report on the National Science Foundation's Telework Program," a Web-based survey of 1,200 NSF employees, found that 67 percent of employees that manage teleworkers also telework themselves.
Among this group, 84 percent view telework favorably and 73 percent believe that the work arrangement supports the NSF's mission. Moreover, 87 percent of these same managers reported that the productivity of teleworkers under their supervision has increased or remained the same, while two-thirds found that it was easy to evaluate teleworkers and that the setup required minimal to no change in how work is conducted.
"NSF clearly sees the value that telework offers to employees and the agency," said Anthony Arnolie, chief human capital officer, NSF. "Employees can win on three fronts - better work/life balance, reduced carbon footprints, as well as decreased commuting time and costs."
Overall, 51 percent of NSF employees telework, with 32 percent working at least one day a week. The majority of participants are interested in increasing the frequency of their days teleworking. Other key survey findings include:
- 67 percent of employees who manage teleworkers, also telework themselves 87 percent of these managers also report that employees' productivity increases or remains the same while teleworking
- 52 percent of teleworkers have a computer provided by NSF (the majority have laptops) and 94 percent have a high-speed Internet connection at home
- The average NSF teleworker saves 62 hours in commuting time and $1,201 in commuting costs and keeps 1,751 pounds of emissions from being dispersed into the environment annually. Collectively, NSF teleworkers save $738,615 in commuting costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by more than one million pounds each year
If you are interested in viewing the NSF telework report in its entirety, please click here.
