Telework (also called telecommuting) is the ability to do your work at a location other than your "official duty station." With portable computers, high speed telecommunications links, and ever-present pocket communications devices, many employees today can work almost anywhere at least some of the time. Using the flexibility to work in a home office or telework center when it is effective to do so is clearly the wave of the future, and for many of us the future is already here.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration (GSA) have established this joint web site on Telework to provide access to guidance issued by both agencies. Here you will find information for employees who think they might like to telecommute (or are already doing so), for managers and supervisors who supervise teleworkers, and for agency telework coordinators.
Resources for Supervisors
The OPM Telework Manual contains information to help people who supervise teleworkers, or are going to need to do so. Here are links to some of the most popular helpful resources you’ll find in the manual:
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Announcements
- New Telework Report
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management has released its annual
report of federal agencies on telework implementation during 2003.
The report summarizes findings from the 2003 telework survey and
describes the major telework promotional activities undertaken
by OPM in partnership with the General Services Administration
(GSA) in 2003. Click here to view
the report. A press release announcing the report was issued on
May 20, 2004. Click
here to view the press release.
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Gov Online Learning Center Telework Courses
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Telework
101 for Employees: Making Telework Work for You.
The Gov Online Learning Center
has added a new course to its free catalogue, Telework 101: Making
Telework Work for You. Telework can give you more control over
your schedule, more time for family and community, and freedom
from the interruptions of a noisy office. But will it work for
you? This course gives you a brief, practical introduction to
telework. It offers tools for deciding whether telework is a good
fit for you and for the specific job you hold. It teaches you
strategies for teleworking efficiently, staying "plugged in" to
the office, and managing your interactions with co-workers and
customers. If you decide that telework sounds right for you, you'll
find a roadmap for developing and marketing a successful telework
proposal. For instructions on how to
register click here.
Telework
101 for Managers: Making Telework Work for You
The Gov Online Learning Center
has added a new course to its free catalogue, Telework 101 for
Managers: Making Telework Work for You. Telework can help managers
attract and retain the best qualified employees, provide them
with uninterrupted blocks of time to work on key projects, and
give their organization a way of functioning more effectively
during crisis situations and other business interruptions. The
course introduces managers to basic telework concepts. It walks
managers through the process of developing a program, selecting
employees for telework, and managing effectively in a telework
environment. It helps them structure their telework program in
a way that avoids common pitfalls and enhances the productivity
of all employees, both teleworkers and those working back at the
office. For instructions on how to register
click here.
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OPM Issues Telework Guide for Managers, Supervisors,
and Telework Coordinators -- Managers and supervisors play
a key role in the success of telework, identifying eligible positions
and employees, setting performance expectations and parameters
for telework arrangements, and monitoring productivity. The OPM
guide Telework: A Management Priority, A Guide for Managers,
Supervisors, and Telework Coordinators, provides guidance
to managers and supervisors to assist them with those tasks. In
addition to strategies and helpful hints, the guide also includes
sample checklists, surveys, safety checklists and telework agreements
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Please send comments and feedback regarding the Web site to:
workandfamily@opm.gov