Both as an effort to conserve fuel and to increase personnel
flexibilities – and seizing on the opportunity to promote telework –
the Office of Personnel Management is asking agencies to increase
their use of telecommuting and to get employees to car pool or to
use public transportation.
Together with the General Services Administration, OPM is offering
free use of their telework centers through the end of the year.
Information for employees interested in or already telecommuting,
or for managers and supervisors is available at telework.gov.
OPM director Linda M. Springer issued a statement urging chief
human capital officers to “take additional actions to meet
the current fuel price challenge by implementing the human
capital and workplace flexibilities available to your agency.”
She suggested “carpooling and vanpooling, shuttle services,
public transportation, and transit subsidy programs,” as well
as conference calls rather than face-to-face meetings,
videoconferencing and relying on email for the bulk of
communications.
