One of the agencies best known for its telework program, the Patent and Trademark Office, says that work at home arrangements kept the agency’s productivity high on the two days last week when offices in the nation’s capital areas were closed by the storm.
"Despite the emergency circumstances and federal government closures, the USPTO and its employees shifted gears and performed admirably, demonstrating our leadership in telework for government agencies," director David Kappos said in an online post. "During a natural disaster that closes our offices, USPTO employees must first care for their homes and families. And yet once everything was in order this week, they still showed an extraordinary ability to carry on business as usual in the face of extreme challenges.
"Despite the emergency government shut down on Monday and Tuesday, our patents and trademarks teams nonetheless averaged more than 70 percent productivity. A remarkable achievement, considering many of our examiners couldn’t participate because of widespread power outages. Our Trademark Assistance Center—the call center for trademark owners and attorneys to contact with general questions about the trademark process—was fully operational during the Hurricane Sandy closure, with 100 percent participation from the work-at-home employees."
