« Filing taxes in two... | Main | Answering Income Tax... »
 

Entry bubble Teleworking

By: Ginger | February 06, 2009 | Category: General

Several years ago my husband and I decided to move from the DC area because we had family obligations in Texas.  It was difficult to tell my boss that I was leaving.  Thank goodness I brought along a box of tissue because, as expected, he cried a lot at the news.  Not really, I just like messing with him.  If I mysteriously disappear from the blog next week, you’ll know that he was not amused.

Woman working from homeAlthough the federal government offers its employees many benefits, at the time, telework/telecommuting was relatively new in the government.  Telework was not something my office routinely offered, but happily, my management said yes to teleworking for a 3-month trial period.  It has worked out so well, that here it is 3+ years later and I am still teleworking.  Throughout the government, telework is now becoming more accepted.  Many agencies offer teleworking one day a week to employees.  My situation is a little different in that I am a full-time teleworker from Texas working out of my home for my DC office, but here are some of my observations about telework:

  • For it to work well, the teleworking employee has to be independent and self-motivated.  A good work ethic in the office can translate into a good work ethic anywhere. Unfortunately, the opposite is true.  A person who is continually unreliable in the office will only be more so teleworking.  Management has to be firm about allowing only productive and reliable employees to telework.  Telework isn’t a right; it should be an earned privilege. If a teleworker’s performance declines, teleworking should be revoked for that person.
  • Attracting new employees and better employee retention, increased productivity, and creating a federal workforce capable of continuing to work during a crisis from an alternate location are just a few of the benefits to the government.
  • As someone with health issues, the time I save from not commuting allows me to make healthy meals, get more rest, and make time for exercise.  I also save money on gas, lunch, and my clothing budget.

Interested in teleworking?  Here are some helpful government teleworking resources:

Teleworking has significantly helped my life.  I am healthier and less stressed because of it.  Please share your teleworking comments and experiences.

| View Comments [11] | envelope E-mail This Entry | Tags: ginger   telecommuting   teleworking  

Comments (11):

blue comment bubble Posted by Nicole on February 06, 2009 at 11:33 AM EST

Thanks for sharing you telework success story; and for being a great example of how telework can be beneficial for both the employer and the employee. I hope many, many jobs will be able to offer telework benefits to good employees in the near future!

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Barry Everett on February 06, 2009 at 12:43 PM EST

Thank you for this post. I am someone who has been a participant in Telework for more than 10 years, in every form of the program, except Medical. I currently am on Regular Telework 2 days a week. In the past, I have had a similar situation as you, Ginger. I was looking at the prospect of having to change jobs to move away from the Dallas area, due to family health issues. Later, we were able to move closer to Dallas, but only 2 counties away, which works well for a 2 day a week assignment.

I too, was fortunate to have a very supportive management chain, that went to bat in order to approve a Full Time Regular Telework assignment. However, the other side, the teleworker's responsibility and commitment, are also critical to success for both management and staff. What I have found from those who say they want to work from home is that they think it's easy, time off or relaxed. It takes great discipline to avoid the pitfalls inherent in combining work with personal space. Self motivation, technical skills, focus, and flexibility are attributes of successful teleworkers.

I am hoping that the current transformation to more green and energy saving initiatives will give real Telework programs more of a chance to have real impacts on our environment and workforce.

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Lakshmi on February 06, 2009 at 12:49 PM EST

As a supervisor of an exceptional long-distance teleworker, I cannot agree with you more! I feel strongly that managers need to be empowered to make such decisions so we can retain some of our most talented staff. Thanks for writing so eloquently.

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Ginger on February 06, 2009 at 01:08 PM EST

Barry, you bring up a good point about the importance of technical skills. While we do have helpdesk support available, and I do go to them for help, there are times that I have had to troubleshoot and solve my own computer problems. My job is technical in nature, so I have fairly good troubleshooting skills and if I can't solve the problem, I can often find a work around until the helpdesk support people are available to fix the problem.

I don't think a worker has to be a computer expert to telework, but it certainly helps if he/she is comfortable with technology and can be a little self-sufficient in working with computers.

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Ginger on February 06, 2009 at 01:56 PM EST

Barry you brought up another point that I wanted to comment on.
I agree with you, teleworking isn't goof-off time. I am very punctual about my start time. I work a set schedule like everyone else. As a full-time teleworker, I feel I have to be extra diligent about being available and reliable. I keep instant message running during my work day so people can get a hold of me instantly. When I do step out for lunch or take leave in the middle of the day, I leave messages to let everyone know what the deal is and when I will be back.

In an office setting, someone will call and if you aren't at your desk, they leave a message and don't think twice about it. My home is my office, people expect me to be here and to respond most of the time. I often respond and help out even during my off-duty hours and on my days off. Perhaps I go overboard on this, but I do this to protect my reputation as being solid and a good employee.

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by BD on February 08, 2009 at 05:36 PM EST

One problem it creates is that those unreliable workers who are denied to telework, will then use it as a grounds to file a complaint to justify staying at home, not doing anything, but getting paid.

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Ginger on February 08, 2009 at 06:53 PM EST

BD, it may be true that some poor performers will file complaints that they aren't allowed to telework, but then it seems to me if they aren't performing and they are unreliable, a supervisor should be documenting that in their evaluations. Shouldn't that serve as justification for not allowing nonperformers to telework?

I don't think telework should be withheld because some unreliable performers will take advantage. That seems like punishing the good with the bad. To me the real issue is that the bad performers need to be confronted with evaluations that document bad performance. If bad performance is allowed to continue, good performers are already paying the price in that they probably have to pick up the slack for the poor performers.

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Kevin on February 09, 2009 at 08:41 AM EST

I totally agree with Ginger's observations of Teleworking. Being a very self-motivated individual, it enhances my productivity when I work from home.
The office environment can sometimes prove to be slightly distracting -- with day-to-day office movement and loud phone conversations -- and hence, decrease productivity.
With a decreased level of stress in a relaxed home environment, I get so much more work done, and not to mention the miles I save from not having to drive to the metro everyday.
I only telework two days out of the week, but it equates to huge savings in gas, on the environment, and wear and tear on my vehicle, as well as a healthly level of stress -- no stress!

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Jack on February 12, 2009 at 08:54 AM EST

Thanks for sharing your experience with teleworking. I found your blog really interesting. I definately think more people should start working from home, not only will it save costs for businesses and yourself, but it will lead to a better work-life balance helping you enjoy life more.

I have a website that blogs on the latest news stories with regards to teleworking, flexible working, remote working, working from home, as well as commenting on the latest remote working technology, such as VoIP and smartphones, that will help employees achieve a better work-life balance.

Here is the link: www.i-working.org.

Enjoy!

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Stephanie Lesher on February 12, 2009 at 01:08 PM EST

Since bills in the House and Senate have such a difficult time being passed (even when they are for something good as well as simple) - why are they allowed to add vast amounts of pork and unrelated items to an important bill? This has never made sense to me.

Comment Permalink

blue comment bubble Posted by Chris on February 19, 2009 at 11:17 AM EST

I totally disagree. Where to start...
First, telework shouldn't be restricted to independent workers. DEPENDENT workers do just fine in the office, so why would working from home be any different?
Second, the comment about 'Management being firm...etc." is such a sad sad blow to automation. Management had a role during teh industrial age, but now it is clinging to outdated ideas...such as controlling telework. Some managers will do ANYTHING just to get invited to the meeting.
Whether it is from home,school, or the office, we ALL work from the internet these days. Misguided comments that empower 'management' over productivity 1) set telework back years 2) are truly appreciated by big oil companies (that cash in on crowded highways) and 3) drive nations who embrace technology to shoot past the US as it clings to an arcane self-destructive reliance on industrial age approaches.

Comment Permalink