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U.S. Office of Personnel Management Telework: A
Management Priority
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Appendices
I. What is Telework? Telework: Definitions Telework-also
referred to as telecommuting, flexiwork, and flexiplace-is an alternative
work arrangement for employees to conduct all or some of their work away from
the primary workplace. This concept can be applied to a variety of work
experiences. The work location might be a residence, a telecenter (described
later in this document), an office closer to the employee's residence, or
another acceptable location. The telework schedule may be fixed or episodic. Managers
and supervisors are key players in the telework process. They set the
parameters of the telework arrangement and define telework for their
organizations. Studies show that clear guidance and direction increase the
chances of success for telework programs. Public Law
106-346 (FY 2001 Department of Transportation and Related Agencies
Appropriations Act), Section 359 states that, "Each executive agency
shall establish a policy under which eligible employees of the agency may
participate in telecommuting to the extent possible without diminished
employee performance." The law defines telecommuting as "any
arrangement in which an employee regularly performs officially assigned
duties at home or other work sites geographically convenient to the residence
of the employee," and eligible employee as "any satisfactorily
performing employee of the agency whose job may typically be performed at
least one day per week at an alternative workplace." As
Congressman Wolf, a leading champion of telework, has said in a 2001 press
release: "… teleworking offers additional
benefits for both employees and employers. According to the International
Telework Association and Council (ITAC) telework results in increased
productivity and worker retention. AT&T, which has more than 25% of its
workforce teleworking on a regular basis, has found fewer people taking sick
leave, better worker retention and higher productivity since making teleworking
an option to employees." Alternative Worksites An employee
who teleworks may perform work duties at home or at another worksite away
from the primary office. These locations constitute alternative worksites.
They can be in the employee's home, a telecenter, or another location where
there is connectivity to the primary office site and there is an office
setting conducive to accomplishing work requirements. The focus should be on
providing worksites at locations that reduce employee commuting time and inconvenience
while allowing employees to accomplish their work effectively. Opportunity to Telework The OPM
annual telework survey asks agencies to identify the numbers of employees
"offered the opportunity to telework." Agencies ask what OPM means
when it asks how many employees are offered the opportunity. Congressman
Frank Wolf has stated in a July 2001 letter to the Director of OPM,
"Simply put, agencies must specifically identify positions which would
be appropriate for teleworking one day each week and offer those employees
the option of participating in such an arrangement." This means that
supervisors should extend the option of teleworking to all employees they
determine are eligible, using their established criteria. Telecenters A
telecenter is one type of alternative worksite. Typically, a telecenter is a
facility that houses workstations that are rented or leased by the employer.
One advantage of a telecenter is that employees can work closer to home,
reducing commuting time and allowing more time for family and community life.
Another advantage is that telecenters often have workstations with
state-of-the-art technology, docking stations, conference space, and other
amenities. They provide a business-like work setting for the employee who
needs to invite clients to the office. Some employees prefer to work in a
telecenter rather than at home because they find the professional atmosphere
conducive to effective job performance, or because their homes are not
suitable for setting up a home office. There are several telecenters around
the country. Some are operated by the General Services Administration (GSA),
others by military reserve components, and still others by private-sector
businesses. The following website has a current listing: http://www.telework.gov/. Types of Telework Full
Time Telework: The employee completes all or almost
all duties outside of a traditional office setting. This may include some
work done at home, in clients' offices, or at a telecenter and occasionally
coming to the office for a meeting or planning session; however, the duties
lend themselves to work away from the office. This kind of work provides for
the potential savings based on shared use of current space or cost avoidance
for office rent that otherwise would have to be expended. This type of
telework can help agencies retain valued employees such as Foreign Service or
military spouses who can't remain in the geographical area of the office.
This is also referred to as occupational or home-based work. Part
Time Telework: The employee teleworks on a regularly
scheduled basis. This may be one or more days a week, every two weeks or
several days in a month. This also may lend itself to savings in office space
as part-time teleworkers can rotate and share office space. Episodic
or Situational Telework: The employee teleworks on an irregular
basis. The telework opportunity may be a result of a medical problem,
reasonable accommodation, or the need to be focused on a special project. Other
situations may develop that makes it beneficial for the employee and
supervisor to agree on an episodic telework opportunity. This type of
telework also is essential for potentially volatile situations e.g., during
World Bank/IMF mass demonstrations. Telework should be an integral part of
any agency's plans for Continuity of Operations (COOP). Telework allows the
Federal Government to remain responsive to the Nation at all times. The History of Telework The
International Telework Association and Council (ITAC) cites 1972 as the first
significant date in the history of telework. In that year, Jack Nilles became
a researcher at the University of Southern California, focusing on the
telecommunications-transportation tradeoff after teleworking as a consulting
rocket scientist in the U.S. Air Force Space Program in the early 1960s. As a
result of his highly influential research, publications and other
professional activities, he is known as the "Father of
Telecommuting/Telework." Promotion
of telework in the Federal Government began in January 1990 when the
President's Council on Management Improvement approved guidelines for a
one-year Federal Flexible Workplace Pilot Project. The Office of Personnel
Management (OPM) implemented the pilot on October 1, 1990, to determine
whether flexible workplace arrangements could assist OPM in recruiting,
motivating and retaining workers while reducing costs associated with sick
leave, space usage, and transportation. The pilot project was successful.
Telework arrangements worked well and provided significant benefits when
implemented with employees who were proven performers. On July 11,
1994, a Presidential directive called on each Executive department and agency
to "establish a program to encourage and support the expansion of
flexible family-friendly work arrangements including…telecommuting and
satellite work locations." In 1996, the President's Management Council
endorsed a National Telecommuting Initiative led by the U.S. Department of
Transportation and GSA. Their mission was to increase the use of telework by
all American employers, both private and public. Between 1995 and 1997, the
number of people teleworking grew by 3 million. In a June
21, 1996, Presidential Memorandum, Executive departments and agencies were
directed to "review their personnel practices and develop a plan of
action to utilize the flexible policies already in place and, to the extent
feasible, expand their ability to provide their employees…opportunities to
telecommute." Finally, in October 2000, Public Law 106-346, Section 359
and the accompanying Conference Report established the mandate for Federal
agencies to establish policies for implementing telework opportunities and
dramatically increase their numbers of teleworkers. The Business Case for Telework Telework
has a long history as a proven program providing benefits for both employer
and employee. Research shows that telework improves the quality of work/life
and job performance, i.e., reduces office overcrowding and provides a
distraction-free environment for reading, thinking, and writing. Studies have
also found an improvement in retention, leave usage, and productivity. ITAC
conducted a study and found that telework reduced turnover by an average of
20 percent, boosted productivity by up to 22 percent, and trimmed absenteeism
by 60 percent. Additionally, it allowed companies to adhere more closely to
the Clean Air Act, the Family and Medical Leave Act, and the Americans with
Disabilities Act. Other studies produced similar findings. An October
1999 study by Telework America showed that employees who telework can save
their agencies up to $10,000 per year in reduced absenteeism and retention
costs. A study by the American Management Association found that the
absenteeism costs were reduced by 63 percent, an average of $2,000 saved for
every employee. The State of Arizona evaluated their telework program and
found senior managers identified increased efficiency, greater productivity,
and enhanced employee morale as the biggest program benefits. Many Federal
agencies with long-standing telework programs have found a decrease in the
need for office space. These factors all impact the cost of doing business.
AT&T estimates its telework program saves them $25 million annually in
real estate expenses. For employees, cost savings from reduced commuting as
well as improved morale and work productivity were identified as benefits. As more and
more Federal employees reach retirement age, agencies need to expand their
efforts to identify, recruit, and retain well qualified personnel. Telework
can open the door to Federal employment for all talented individuals who have
the needed skills. For some, because of disabilities, geographical location,
or family responsibilities, a daily commute may be too challenging to be
practical. Teleworking also enhances agencies' abilities to recruit and
retain employees who simply prefer to reduce commuting time because they
would prefer to spend the time in family and community activities. Younger
workers, who seem to value work/life balance even more than older generations
of workers, are especially likely to find this flexibility appealing. Well
qualified individuals who live in distant suburbs might find Federal
employment attractive if they were not required to commute to the city on a
daily basis. Telework for People with Disabilities President
George W. Bush, introducing his New Freedom Initiative on February 1, 2001,
stated, "I am committed to tearing down the remaining barriers to
equality that face Americans with disabilities." People with
disabilities are a valuable employment pool for Federal jobs. With new
assistive technologies available, an increasing number of people with
disabilities are now well qualified to perform Federal work, but they may
have great difficulty commuting to a Federal office building. The person may
lack the physical strength or mobility necessary for a commute via public
transportation, or may not, because of vision requirements, be eligible for a
driver's license. A U.S.
Department of Labor study published in 2000 also identified employment of
persons with disabilities as a societal benefit resulting from telework
arrangements. Further, it noted that, despite the strong economy, millions of
residents in urban and isolated rural and Native American communities
remained unemployed. The study suggested that telework could improve the
employability of all of these groups. It also reported that telework is
extremely useful in decreasing traffic congestion and air pollution. In addition
to providing job opportunities for those who already have disabilities,
telework allows people who have partially recovered from injuries and/or
illnesses to return to work more quickly because they can perform their
duties at off-site locations. Additionally, it is a work arrangement that
supports employees who have temporary or continuing health problems or who
might otherwise have to retire on disability. Benefits to Society An increase
in telework arrangements can decrease costs for road construction and public
transportation if a requisite number of personnel telework. Cyclical energy
shortage problems could be ameliorated. Decreased costs for fuel and
transportation, as well as heating and air conditioning office space, would
provide significant savings. Nationwide,
concerns about traffic congestion and its impact on limited energy sources
and limited transportation resources are escalating. Traffic congestion and
long commutes detract from efforts to improve recruitment and retention of
Federal employees. In order to
effectively address some of the above challenges and to enhance the Federal
telework program, Congress mandated that Federal agencies step up their
efforts to expand telework (Public Law 106-346, Section 359). In summary, the
timing is right for the growth and development of telework as an option
beneficial to all. Telework and Agency Contingency Plans The ability
to telework has been, and will continue to be, very important in times of
emergency situations. Therefore, agencies should make telework part of their
continuity of operations planning. In the
aftermath of the events of September 11, 2001, it has become increasingly
evident that Federal agencies need to consider a full range of possibilities
related to how and where their work is accomplished. Telework has proven to
be an important option for efficiently accomplishing the work with the least
amount of disruption. Through the use of alternative worksites such as
telecenters and employees' homes, employees who were displaced because of the
terrorist attacks and subsequent anthrax problems were able to continue
working. Employees were able to use laptop computers, cell phones, and other
technologies. Agencies
should consider telework in the event of emergencies and plan ahead for such
events. They should inventory their equipment, discuss contingency plans with
staff, and periodically assess their emergency procedures. Routine emergency
exercises should also be held to assess the potential effectiveness of their
emergency plans. |
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II. Getting Started The Telework Program Manager It is best
to appoint a committee to plan your telework program, monitor progress, and
assess the need for changes and improvements that will increase your chances
for success. The committee will function more effectively if one person
serves as the telework program manager and manages the overall telework
program. Additionally, the quality of your program will be improved, as this
person can ensure you meet all reporting requirements, track agency efforts
to promote telework, and serve as a champion for telework. The Committee The first
action for the telework program manager is to establish a planning committee
composed of agency stakeholders. Possible members include representatives
from human resources, including employee relations, staffing,
labor-relations, EEO, and work/life; legal; information technology;
management; and labor organizations. Employees should also be included. This
group can help establish program goals, objectives, written policies, and
procedures. It is important to quantify goals and objectives at the beginning
of the program. This will be helpful when you conduct your program
evaluation. The committee will also develop an implementation plan and
schedule with milestones. The
committee needs to address a wide variety of issues. They need to determine
the level of technological support the agency will provide to employees who
telework, such as the provision of computers, printers and telephone lines,
and access to agency computers from remote sites and the Internet. They need
to address the acquisition, maintenance, and repair of any equipment
provided. Issues surrounding equipment and data security must also be
resolved. The
committee may recommend surveying the workforce to measure the level of
interest in telework, identify perceived impediments to telework
arrangements, and solicit suggestions to enhance the success of the program.
Additionally, the committee should develop marketing and implementation
plans. Research has shown training is key to the success of telework. The
committee should determine what training will be provided and how to make
certain everyone receives the information they need to improve the chances
for success. The group
should provide an initial program budget recommendation and make appropriate
changes as the planning proceeds and the scope of the program is determined.
It is critical that the budget be linked to the telework program goals and
objectives. For example, if a program goal is to decrease staff turnover, a
study to identify the impact of telework on retention would be appropriate.
Any costs associated with the study would be tied to this goal. While the
committee has significant responsibility in many areas, its major tasks are
the establishment of three important elements of the program: the policy,
training plan, and evaluation plan. The Policy Good
communication is the essential element of a successful telework program. All
of the participants need to know what the guidelines and expectations are and
who is in charge of the various aspects of the program. Written policies and
procedures are needed to ensure understanding and avoid misunderstanding
about the terms and conditions of telework. Policies should cover short term
as well as continuing telework arrangements. A review of
the current policies of other agencies will give you an idea of what should
be included in your policy. Your policy should outline your goals and
objectives, as well as the benefits to your organization and to employees.
Program parameters should be defined, including the positions or aspects of
positions that are appropriate for telework. You will need to determine what
forms or documentation you need for employees to submit, such as a telework
contract/agreement and a form for borrowing equipment. A copy of an
assessment tool that can be used by both employees and supervisors to measure
their potential for success with telework should be included. You also
need to identify the points of contact for all issues pertaining to telework,
including personnel and information technology. Determine what the plan is
for contacting these people if assistance is needed and whether the employee
contacts them directly or contacts the supervisor. You must
define the official duty station. Changing an employee's duty station may
affect the employee's pay rate and travel benefits. Agencies must make
official duty station determinations consistent with the law and OPM
regulations and guidance. The issue
of core hours must be addressed and outlined in the telework policy. Address
the following questions: Are there core hours that a teleworker must work?
Are these hours consistent with the core hours for a non-teleworker? If not,
why not? Are there core days when all employees must work in the office? What
is the process if a teleworker needs assistance from office staff? A policy
should include the following elements:
The Training Plan Training
should be provided for managers and supervisors as well as employees. It
should focus on program goals and objectives. For managers and supervisors,
clearly address the business case for the agency plan to integrate telework
as a workplace flexibility. Telework typically involves a cultural change and
the training should address this issue and its effect on the total work
environment. Review
telework policy, procedures, and techniques for managing remote workers.
Address issues surrounding work planning and scheduling. Most importantly,
present typical barriers to telework and discuss possible solutions.
Emphasize the importance of good communication as this will be key to the
success of a telework program. If you are conducting in-person training,
encourage participation by attendees and make certain you allow a significant
period of time for questions and answers. For
employees, make it clear that their ability to accomplish the workload and
minimize obstacles is essential to succeeding in the program. Describe good
communication and work planning techniques. Employees will need to
communicate effectively with their supervisor and their coworkers as well as
organize their telework time effectively. Give an introduction to the
program, review success strategies, and focus on getting an effective program
started. Do a step-by-step review of the program and its requirements.
Several slide training programs available through OPM and the website,
www.telework.gov, provide a wealth of training material. You can adapt these
to meet your specific agency needs. (See Appendix B) Evaluating the Agency Program Key issues
for evaluation for most agencies include the effect of telework on
productivity, operating costs, employee morale, recruitment, and retention.
External issues, such as the impact of telework on traffic flow, air
pollution, and mass transit use, are also important, but are more likely to
be evaluated in a community effort through a consortium of interested
organizations than by the organization. It is
essential that you create an evaluation plan before beginning a telework
program. If you do not build evaluation into your plan from the beginning,
you are missing a critical opportunity to measure the success of your
program. This plan should be based on quantifiable program goals and
objectives to allow for ease of measurement. There are
several measurement strategies that you might include in your evaluation
plan. First, you can compare teleworkers and non-teleworkers on selected
measures at one point in time. Second, you can conduct pre- and post-
measurements on the teleworkers alone, conducting selected measurements
before they begin teleworking and at regular points afterward. To be thorough,
you might choose to use both approaches at once, measuring both teleworkers
and non-teleworkers before and after the teleworkers have begun to telework.
In this way, you will have a degree of control over extraneous factors that
might affect your results. Comparing the teleworkers and non-teleworkers can
help you refine your findings. Many
specific measures can be used to assess the impact of teleworking. To
evaluate productivity, you might want to measure average scores on
performance appraisals. It is also very useful to identify quantifiable tasks
and determine how many of these can be accomplished in an office setting and
how many can be accomplished in a telework setting over the course of a day,
or other appropriate time period. For example, an employee may typically
complete four reports per day in the office; however, the employee may be
able to complete six reports per day in the telework setting. Another example
is that it may take an employee two weeks to write the office newsletter when
working in the office, but only one week in the telework setting because of
fewer interruptions. You may wish to measure the effectiveness of the
telework arrangement by surveying co-workers. These surveys can measure their
perceptions of how well the telework arrangement is working. There are
many ways to measure the impact of telework on operating costs. You may want
to measure sick leave usage, workers' compensation costs, emergency leave
requests, and/ or transit subsidy expenses. In addition to these measures on
individual employees, anecdotal data may also be helpful. You may find that
with work efficiencies created through telework, an office does not need to
fill a vacant position, or you may need less space. In evaluating the costs
of teleworking, allow sufficient time for implementation before studying
costs. In the initial months of telework, there are typically increased costs
for logistical support. After a sufficient period of program implementation,
costs savings are often noted. To evaluate
morale, recruitment, and retention, you can use several measurement
techniques, including focus groups, questionnaires, and surveys. For example,
you can ask employees to rate their degree of satisfaction with their working
conditions, productivity, etc. You can ask how important various factors are
in their decision to stay with the agency. You may want to survey all of your
employees about what led them to choose their jobs and stay with them. You
may want to focus on new hires, placing a small survey in the packet they are
issued at their new employees' orientation and asking what role various
benefits and flexibilities may have played in their decision to choose the
agency. In addition
to looking at overall morale and retention, it is important to measure specific
aspects of satisfaction with telework. As in measuring costs, it is important
to take enough time, asking the same questions at several points in time,
such as three months, six months, etc. One approach is to develop a small
survey asking employees how they believe telework will benefit them. After
six months, you can ask them to look at the initial survey and identify if
they did or did not experience these benefits. An example of such an employee
survey can be found in Appendix E. Appendix F is a similar survey for
supervisors. |
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III. Overcoming
Supervisory Challenges Employee Suitability and Selecting Employees One of the
major challenges for supervisors is determining who is a candidate for
telework. As a starting point, you, the supervisor, should view all positions
and employees as eligible for telework. As a supervisor, it is important that
you make good decisions about which employees have potential as teleworkers.
Sometimes it is difficult to discuss this with an employee. You may anticipate
that an interested employee is not really a good candidate for a telework
situation. You may be concerned that if you let one person telework, all of
your employees will want to telework. You may worry about control of the
workforce and workload. These are legitimate concerns. Remember that you
decide whether a position and an employee are appropriate for telework. To
assist you in your decision, we suggest you use an employee screening tool
such as the telework assessment tool in Appendix G. Employees who telework
must be very well organized and have effective communication skills. The Decision Process The
decision process may be made easier by using a screening tool that both
employee and supervisor complete and then use as a basis for discussion. The
value of a screening tool for the employee is that it can help the employee
understand why he or she may not be a suitable candidate in a particular job
for telework. Screening tools also provide a common source of information
that can be used to generate a positive discussion between employees and
their supervisors. The tool provided in Appendix G allows you to rate an
employee on characteristics that lead to success in telework and then discuss
the results with them. The ability for the employee to be flexible, be a
self-starter, and enjoy the solitude of working at home should be discussed. If you
determine that an employee can adjust to a telework situation, approval
should be given. If you have concerns, they need to be clearly articulated.
If they are significant enough that you cannot approve the employee's request
to telework, develop a plan with goals the employee must meet in order to be
considered for a telework arrangement at a later time. As a
supervisor, your decision process will be driven by your agency's policy and
the stipulations it makes for employees considered appropriate for telework,
as well as your own assessment. It is important to be consistent in making
your decisions. Position Suitability Initially,
a particular position may not appear to be compatible with a telework
arrangement; however, if the position is broken down into individual tasks,
you may be able to identify tasks that could be accomplished in a telework
setting. Work suitability depends on job content, rather than job title, type
of appointment, or work schedule. Telework is
feasible for (1) work that requires thinking and writing, such as data
analysis, reviewing grants or cases, and writing regulations, decisions, or
reports; (2) telephone-intensive tasks, such as setting up a conference,
obtaining information, and contacting customers; and (3) computer-oriented
tasks, such as programming, data entry, and word processing. Positions
included in a Government-wide project on telework conducted in 1990 included
writer/editor, scientist, investigator, psychologist, environmental engineer,
budget analyst, tax examiner, and computer scientist. Some work
may not be suitable for teleworking. This is the case for jobs that require
the employee's physical presence on the job. It is also true for jobs in
which the employees need to have extensive face-to-face contact with their
supervisor, other employees, clients, or the public. Positions that require
access to material that cannot be moved from the regular office may not be suitable
for telework. Also, there may be security issues that prevent the work from
being accomplished at an alternative worksite. Your
challenge as a supervisor is to consider each position thoroughly and
determine whether there is any potential to create a telework opportunity.
The telework frequently might be for one day a week, or one day every two
weeks. What is critical is that any position is not automatically ruled out
as telework-suitable. |
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IV. The Supervisor's Role
in Making It Happen In Chapter
3, we reviewed the role of the supervisor in selecting candidates for
telework opportunities. This is one aspect of your responsibility as a
supervisor in making telework a success. You might feel somewhat overwhelmed
initially with the changes and challenges that you face. If you approach this
in a gradual fashion, giving yourself time to work through new issues,
success is very likely. Interestingly, not all employees really want to
telework. Many recognize their inability to work in a non-structured
environment. Others express concerns about social isolation. If you ask
employees why they are not interested, typically they will identify a concern
or shortcoming in one of the factors included in the telework assessment
(Appendix G). Helping Employees Change When
initiating a telework arrangement, you need to help your employees adapt to
this culture change in the beginning stages of implementation. This can be
accomplished by sharing information and ensuring that employees receive
training so they become familiar with some of the typical telework challenges
and solutions. Your agency should provide you with step-by-step guidance in
the implementation process, including necessary training materials and forms. You need to
make certain your staff has an opportunity to review this material and raise
issues before they come to a decision about whether or not they want to be
considered as telework candidates. Once they make that decision and you
review the assessment survey with them, a determination can be made about
whether or not they should begin to telework. The Telework Agreement Your agency
should provide you with its recommended telework agreement between supervisor
and employee. This agreement should be written so everyone has a clear
understanding of the program parameters (see Appendix H). It needs to
identify the work products that will be completed during the telework
arrangement with expected delivery dates for each product. If status reports
on projects are required, they should be stipulated in the agreement. The
telework time schedule should be clearly noted, including core days and
hours, and the telework site should be identified. Review the
list of items your agency is willing to provide for the employee and
determine which ones the employee will need. These may include additional
phone lines, office connectivity, a computer, software, and a printer. It is
best if these are written out and the employee can select from the list. It
is also beneficial if safety guidelines (see Appendix J) are attached to the
agreement. It is essential to review each of these documents with the
employee and make certain both employee and supervisor agree on the contents.
Maintaining Balance in the Office It is
important to address issues of concern expressed by employees who do not
telework. There may be issues regarding fairness and equity in work
assignments and ensuring that office personnel are not expected to undertake
all new tasks that arise during the course of the day. Teleworkers may fear
being forgotten or overlooked for choice assignments, training opportunities,
or promotions. These issues should be discussed as frequently as necessary at
staff meetings with everyone in attendance. The use of
group email notifications is important since they minimize the risk that
someone will be left out of the communication loop. Obviously supervisors
need to ensure adequate office coverage at all times. A computer-based
schedule for all employees to input scheduled events, leave, telework days,
etc., can be most useful. It will give everyone access to a master schedule
and help make certain office coverage is in place. Meetings should be held on
the core day when everyone is in the office. The supervisor's challenge is to
ensure balance between the needs and desires of employees who telework and
those who do not. As the
supervisor, you must clearly articulate the rules for use of leave and the
leave approval process. Teleworkers are expected to adhere to the same
policies and procedures as non-teleworkers, including those that address
overtime. The
supervisor's roles are teacher, coach, and mentor. They provide guidance and
reassurance and make certain communication channels are open. They also have
the responsibility of periodically reviewing the status of staff members and
making certain they are meeting their performance standards. If necessary,
they provide guidance for improving performance. Supervisors should make
certain that the entire staff has the computer skills necessary to telework.
Ultimately, they determine if a teleworker is complying with policy and
procedures and should terminate the process if the teleworker is not doing
so. The result
should be a positive work environment for everyone. Supervisors should also
expect to see benefits such as decreased use of sick leave, decreased
unscheduled annual leave, a decrease in workers' compensation cases, and
improved morale. |
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V. Performance Appraisal How Will Performance Appraisal be Different? There
should be no discernable difference between managing the performance of a
teleworker and managing the employee who works at the main office. The
processes for managing the performance of all employees should include:
A good
supervisor who successfully does these things should have little problem
managing teleworkers. Supervisors who do not have good performance management
skills will probably be unsuccessful at managing teleworker performance and
are probably already unsuccessful at managing employees in general. A
telework environment puts the spotlight on the performance management skills
of supervisors. Planning Work and Setting Expectations Supervisors
should use the performance appraisal process and the employee's performance
plan to plan work and set expectations. Supervisors and employees should
clearly define what the employee is to accomplish and ensure that the
performance elements in the employee's performance plan align with and
support organizational goals. We recommend that at least part of an
employee's performance plan focus on results, such as accomplishments,
products, or services provided. Results are especially important to measure
for teleworkers since it may be hard for supervisors to observe activities,
behaviors, or demonstrated competencies. Performance plans also should
include performance standards that are measurable, observable, or at least
verifiable. If employees know what they are supposed to do, and how well they
are supposed to do it, the supervisor has set the stage for successful
performance - whether the employee works inside or outside the office. Monitoring Performance Monitoring
performance includes measuring performance and providing feedback. In a
telework situation (as in any work situation), measuring the results of
employee efforts rather than their activities can be more efficient and
effective. Quantity, quality, timeliness, and cost-effectiveness are four
general measures that supervisors should review. Once supervisors and
employees establish performance measures, communicating performance on those
measures should be frequent. Employees need feedback on their performance in
order to maintain good performance and to improve overall. Because
teleworkers are not close at hand to receive quick, informal feedback,
supervisors will need to make conscious efforts to give feedback using
methods in addition to face-to-face feedback, such as emails, phone calls and
faxes. In addition
to supervisors providing feedback, employees need to keep supervisors
informed about work progress. This is especially true for teleworkers. Good
communications between supervisors and employees are essential for
successfully completing work and are especially necessary in a telework
environment. Developing Employee Skills By using
appropriate screening methods as discussed in Chapter 3, employees should
already have the skills they need in order to telework successfully. But, as
with all other employees, supervisors need to be aware of employee training
and developmental needs. Supervisors should compare employee performance to
the expectations established in employee performance plans and analyze which
developmental opportunities the employee needs to perform successfully or to
exceed expectations. In particular, teleworkers and their supervisors should
be alert to training and developmental opportunities that work well in
teleworking environments, such as distance training or self-study training. Appraising Performance Almost all
employees must be appraised, generally annually. Supervisors should appraise
all employees' performance against the elements and standards established in
employee performance plans. If the elements and standards are measurable,
observable, or verifiable, and if they focus on accomplishments rather than
activities, the supervisor will find it easier to appraise employee
performance, especially in a telework environment. Recognizing Performance Particularly
in situations where teleworking employees work off-site most of the time,
supervisors need to take care that these employees still feel they are part
of the office. Maintaining good communications is one important way to do
this. Another way is to ensure that supervisors recognize the good
performance of these teleworkers. Supervisors should not let teleworkers feel
as if their performance doesn't matter or that no one ever notices their
achievements. All employees want to feel that their work is appreciated.
Recognition should always be part of the supervisor's performance management
tool bag. Maintaining performance levels and meeting improvement goals is a
requirement defined in telework agreements. To ensure this requirement is
met, supervisors and employees must work together. Supervisors must practice
top-notch performance management skills. Teleworkers must be responsible for
keeping supervisors informed of the status of products or services. Finally,
managers should discuss the impact of telework arrangements with the entire
staff and should make certain that management addresses relevant concerns
immediately. If the work unit is not accomplishing the work as expected,
managers may need to make adjustments in telework arrangements. The decision
to approve telework is a management decision. |
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VI. Conclusions The U.S.
Office of Personnel Management is committed to providing agencies, managers,
supervisors, and employees with current guidance and support to facilitate
the use of telework in the Federal sector. Attention to several key factors
will lead to success. Strong
leadership on the issue of telework is essential. Federal policy makers,
managers, supervisors, employees, and employee representatives must work
together and invest their efforts in the success of this program. Communication
is critical. It must be clear, frequent, and positive among all parties.
Flexibility is essential to achieve success in telework arrangements. There
are often initial roadblocks and challenges to be overcome. As with any new
idea or concept, success comes if the challenges are met. We have
provided you with guidance on the essential elements of the telework
arrangement. We remain available to assist you in your planning,
implementation, and continuing efforts to expand telework in the Federal
Government. |
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Appendix A
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Appendix B U.S.
Government Telework Site at http://www.telework.gov/ OPM
Telework Study at http://www.opm.gov/studies/index.htm GSA
Telework guidance at http://www.gsa.gov/Portal/content/offerings_content.jsp?contentOID=115208&contentType=1004&PMPW=1&S503=1 Defense
Logistics Agency's Telework Training for Supervisors at http://www.drms.dla.mil/telework/supervisorguide.pdf International
Telework Association and Council at http://www.workingfromanywhere.org/ Metropolitan
Washington Council of Governments' Commuter Connection at http://www.mwcog.org/commuter/ccindex1.html British
Telework at http://www.teleworking-survey.co.uk/participants.html A variety
of research studies at http://www.engr.ucdavis.edu/~its/telecom/publist.html State of
Washington study at http://www.commuterchallenge.org/research.html Department
of Labor study at http://www.dol.gov/asp/telework/p1_1.htm Net Inc. at
http://www.netinc-usa.com/telework/telelink.htmJoAnn Pratt and Associates at http://www.joannepratt.com/TeleworkBibliography.htm |
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Appendix C The General
Services Administration (GSA) contracted with Booz/Allen/Hamiliton to conduct
a study of home-based telework technology barriers. The study is the sixth
and final report submitted as part of Booz Allen's Analysis of Technology
Barriers to Home-Based Telework. The report
was finalized and released in April 2002. The study identified telework
technology barriers and the results were used to propose solutions in order
to make telework practical to Federal workers.
Findings
Recommendations are primarily directed toward
management behavior concerning technology issues impacting telework
implementation.
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Appendix D
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Kay
Cole James