Mission Accomplished: Federal Teleworkers Report Higher Satisfaction

Telework has become more prevalent within government agencies, and the latest intelligence from the Office of Personnel Management says employees are pleased! From the environment to the budget, the benefits are far-reaching. But perhaps the most important advantage is to the employees themselves.

Teleworkers say they are more engaged and satisfied than their onsite counterparts, according to the 2012 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Other reported benefits included a reduced number of sick days, increased employee motivation and greater workforce flexibility. As a teleworker myself, I can attest to these benefits.

All things considered, it’s no surprise  adopting collaborative tools in support of a mobile workforce is becoming a top priority for government agencies. These survey results demonstrate just how fast telework opportunities are growing:

• In 2012, one out of three government employees were eligible for teleworking, up from one in four in 2012
• Almost a quarter of the government workforce engaged in a form of teleworking over the past year
• The General Services Administration and Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation have the highest rate of teleworkers with more than 80 percent of their employees working remotely

But not only is the telework trend growing, it is working. When Hurricane Sandy disrupted the East Coast, agencies had to work to ensure a continuity of operations despite the storm. Not surprisingly, many turned to telework as a solution.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office didn’t miss a beat during the storm thanks to their mobile workforce. On average the agency’s teams reported more than 70 percent productivity, while other organizations were forced to shut down. As more agencies make the transition to teleworking, resources like the Telework Exchange help to eliminate the obstacles.

With things like employee satisfaction on the line, do you see more agencies and organizations looking for ways to allow employees to “work their way” more often?

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