From November 3, 2003 Fed News Digest
Many federal agencies, which combined make up the Washington, D.C., area’s single largest employer, are doing little to ease the region’s rush hour traffic by allowing more federal employees to telework. Federal law required that by 2001, agencies establish policies to allow at least one out of four employees deemed eligible for telecommuting the chance to do so. That was supposed to grow to three out of four by the end of this year and to all employees by the end of 2005. As of late 2001, fewer than one in 20 federal employees teleworked, according to an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) survey. OPM says agencies could do far more to help reduce traffic backups relatively cheaply by allowing more employees to work from home or from a telework center even one day a week. Still, Abby Block, who helps oversee federal telecommuting programs for OPM, said many agency supervisors are concerned about the security of data on home computers and the costs of outfitting home offices. She said she expects telecommuting to pick up government-wide as more agency heads realize the potential cost savings in office rental space and the ability of telecommuting employees to keep government running from their homes in case of a terrorist attack, bad weather or other emergency. Some feds who have been teleworking say they have taken fewer sick days and less leave since working from home. They say they no longer arrive late because of traffic jams and don’t have to leave early to pick up children.