The OPM telwork survey found that only about 14 percent of
federal employees eligible to telecommute do so–and that
about two-fifths of those do it only on a situational basis
rather than a regular basis–underscored once again how
difficult a time the government is having in promoting
telework. The OPM report is the latest in a series showing
that despite years of urging by that agency, the General
Services Administration and Congress, there is still
management resistance to telecommuting.
The most frequently reported barrier to telework in the 2003
survey was the nature of the agency work, followed by office
coverage challenges, data security, management resistance,
and funding for equipment and information technology, OPM
said. In response, agencies to varying extents provided
training to employees and managers on telework, initiated
marketing of telework through promotional materials,
undertook initiatives to gain top management support of
telework, established regular reporting mechanisms for
tracking teleworkers, and increased their budgets for IT
support.
OPM also conducted six focus groups with supervisors and
managers in three cities designed to move beyond the
concept of “management resistance” and explore the obstacles
managers might encounter as they sought to implement
telework in their organizations. Commonly expressed concerns
included the productivity and accountability of teleworkers,
the need to address the IT technology requirements for
supporting telework, the cost of supporting such
arrangements, and supervisors’ or fellow managers’ lack
of comfort with telework.
OPM added, however, that managers were reluctant to say
“no” to a request to telework, preferring if possible to
give an employee a trial period as an objective test of
his or her readiness for telework.
