Fedweek

Survey Reveals Trends in Work-Home Balance for Federal Employees

Work-life balance programs also continued to score relatively high in the latest Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, with 90 percent positive about alternative working schedules, 81 percent each about telework and health and wellness programs, and 78 percent about employee assistance programs.

However, the survey also showed that although federal employees are supposed to be formally notified of their telework eligibility, 27 percent said they were never notified and 9 percent weren’t sure. Another 43 percent said they are eligible to telework and the other 22 percent said they are not. But among those who were told they are ineligible, large numbers believe the job would lend itself to telework.

Of those who do not telework, the primary reason is that the job requires their physical presence, while much smaller numbers cited technical issues–but others said they are eligible but choose not to do it. Of those who telework, there is a mix of schedules–ranging from those who do it only on a sporadic basis to those who do it three days or more each week.

Elder care and child care programs received the lowest ratings among work-home balance programs, although in both cases four-fifths said they do not participate.

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