By Tim Lagan, Monster Government Solutions
The United States Office of Personnel Management defines telework as “work arrangements in which an employee regularly performs officially assigned duties at home or other worksites geographically convenient to the residence of the employee” (telework.gov). While laws addressing telework for Federal employees have been in place for over a decade, not all agencies have exercised this flexibility to its full extent. As a result, many government entities may be missing out on the benefits that telework programs can offer their employees and the agency.
On January 5, 2010 I had the pleasure of speaking with Danette Campbell, a Senior Advisor for Telework at the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). The USPTO is a Federal leader in telework, with 5,176 employees teleworking between one and four days per week (i.e., approximately 82% of the telework-eligible workforce). Danette shared her insights related to telework programs within and outside the Federal Government including the benefits and challenges that the USPTO has experienced. It quickly became clear that the USPTO has begun to recognize both tangible and intangible benefits from their cutting-edge telework policies. Below are some snippets from my conversation with Danette. My hope is that this post will encourage other Federal leaders to take a closer look at this flexibility.
When asked what stands in the way of implementing a telework program, some of the most common responses are related to IT security and maintaining strong employee performance. While the USPTO is not immune to these issues, they have developed formal policies and procedures to address them. From my conversation with Danette, I came away with three attributes of successful telework programs:
- Not all positions are suitable for telework – even though all employees may be interested in telework, it is the nature of work performed in a position that dictates whether it is a viable option. Jobs that are production-driven, like patent examining, lend themselves to telework because they do not require frequent face-to-face contact and possess measurable standards by which employees can be assessed. Patent examiners spend their time reviewing applications and conducting research, which are tasks that can be performed at any location. In addition, a large part of their performance assessment is based on the number of applications they are able to complete. On the other hand, jobs that require frequent customer contact or have subjective performance standards are less conducive to telework.
- Employees and managers must both be trained – a lack of formal training can be a major risk for telework programs. Educating teleworkers and managers on effective practices can go a long way to ensuring success. The USPTO requires teleworkers and managers to attend an intensive training session that address both the IT and non-IT aspects of telework. Included in this session is information on communication techniques, performance standards, expectations, and roles and responsibilities. In addition to training, the USPTO provides updated research articles and information on telework for all employees on their intranet. They also have a telework coordinator assigned to each business unit that collects and disperses information to the organization on a quarterly basis.
- IT safeguards must be put in place to protect data – with recent increases in the risk of cybercrime, it is critical to ensure that all company data is protected. This includes personally identifiable information (PII), company proprietary information, or any other sensitive information. The USPTO addressed this issue in several ways. First, they invested in the encryption of data to ensure information cannot be read by outside parties. All data is also stored on USPTO servers, as opposed to employee laptops. This prevents the loss of information associated with hardware theft or lost equipment. Finally, the USPTO periodically monitors bandwidth to ensure suitable levels for the number of employees currently teleworking.
While it may seem to be an intensive endeavor to develop and implement a successful telework program, the USPTO has already achieved a great return on their investment. In fact, the USPTO’s telework program has made patent examining one of the most desirable jobs in the Washington, DC metropolitan area. For current and potential employees, telework is a desirable arrangement because it allows for personal freedom and flexibility (not to mention avoiding the daily commute). As a result, the USPTO’s telework initiative has made it easier to recruit for hard-to-fill positions and retain existing employees. Aside from these benefits, the agency is also contributing to a greener environment, reducing their need for office space and lowering facility operating costs. Sounds like a win/win to me!
For more information on starting your own telework program, please visit www.telework.gov.
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