Some studies show that increased telework may improve recruitment and retention, while others say it can result in less innovation or impede collaboration. Image: Ira Lichi/Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffIn a report that mainly examined private sector practices but that addresses a personnel issue prominent in the federal workplace, the GAO said that there are signs that higher rates of telework improve productivity, but the effect is difficult to gauge.
It said that studies on the topic that it reviewed “found that telework generally had a positive impact on worker productivity and firm performance in certain sectors, but methodological issues complicate efforts to estimate its long-term impacts.”
It cited data showing as it did in the federal sector, telework in the private sector increased due to the pandemic. However, as in the federal government, telework was higher in certain occupations, such as those where tasks primarily involve working on a computer. Further, measuring productivity “is inherently difficult” in many such jobs, since they “do not have tangible or concrete outputs.”
GAO said eight studies it reviewed “found a modest increase in worker productivity from telework in certain settings, primarily prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, using a number of different measurements” due to factors such as quieter workspaces and fewer distractions, more flexibility in scheduling, or increased motivation and effort.
However, only one of those involved federal employees and it further “used subjective self-reported productivity measures to compare the performance of hybrid workers on their at-home and in-office days” rather than measurable outcomes. “In addition, all eight of the studies analyzed the impact of a particular telework policy in a specific context, and findings may not generalize to other occupations or settings,” it said.
Other studies showed that increased telework may improve recruitment and retention and “may allow firms to recruit from greater geographic areas, thus drawing from a wider pool of talent and potentially improving the match between jobs and hires. Additionally, several of the studies also found that workers perceive telework as an employee benefit . . . However, some other studies have found that telework may result in less innovation or impede collaboration, which could result in reduced productivity or firm performance over time.”
It added that some impacts “emerge only over time,” such as the potential savings from reduced office space needs.
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