Citing Labor Department data, the posting said that 22 percent of private sector employees performed at least some offsite work per week during March. Image: Stasonych/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffA fifth of private sectors still work offsite at least part of their time, the GAO has said in a follow-up to a recent report that found private sector companies value telework for its positive impact on recruitment and retention, at a time when federal agencies have nearly abolished it under the Trump administration’s return to office directive.
Citing Labor Department data, the posting said that 22 percent of private sector employees performed at least some offsite work per week during March. Offsite work is concentrated in “management or professional occupations that do not require in-person activities” while “jobs that require in-person interaction typically aren’t well suited for telework,” it said.
The same was the case in the federal government before the return to office directive, with about half of federal employees never working offsite due to the nature of their jobs even when telework and remote work was at its peak.
The posting noted that in addition to the recruiting and retention advantages that private sector employers cited to GAO—in particular for hiring and keeping persons with disabilities or parents of young children—they cited savings on rent and other building costs such as utilities and repairs, and the potential for saving on salaries by hiring employees in lower-cost areas.
“Employees reported money-saving benefits too. They can save on commuting costs and can keep their jobs if they move to a cheaper area of the country. Employees also told us they were more productive working from home because the office had more distractions,” it said.
It added, though, that “Many employers are concerned about building workplace culture when employees are not physically present. Spontaneous interactions at work, like bumping into colleagues in hallways or breakrooms, can’t happen virtually. This may lead workers to feel less connected at work.
“It could also deprive them of important chances for mentoring or on-the-job training. Employees may also feel that their work doesn’t get the attention it needs to be eligible for promotions or raises,” it said.
Managers meanwhile “may feel a loss of control in tracking their employees’ work” and “may also have a harder time building relationships and trust with employees, both of which are important for ensuring performance.”
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