Earlier this month, President Obama signed the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 into law.  It expands opportunities for over 1 million federal workers to telecommute for at least part of their week.  The law advances multiple goals simultaneously.  It advances the greening of government.  It allows federal workers to benefit from flexible 21^st-century workplace practices prevalent in the private sector.  And, it can reduce costs while improving worker productivity.

Allowing federal employees to telecommute can significantly reduce traffic congestion in Washington, DC.  This is especially important to a city that ranks 4^th in the U.S. in traffic congestion.  It can also help federal employees achieve the ever-important work/life balance. A recent study conducted by the Telework Exchange shows that employees are more satisfied with their jobs and more productive when they work from home or alternate locations.  Finally, as Congressman John Sarbanes (D-MD, 3), a sponsor of the bill, stated “it can save taxpayers money by increasing efficiency, reducing federal office space and improving employee retention.”

Telework is not a new concept at IBM.  Day in and day out we use a variety of connectivity tools to link to our colleagues and clients around the globe. 65% of IBM employees spend part of their time working from non-IBM locations, including from home and client sites.  40% of IBM’s workforce operates without any dedicated IBM office space at all.  IBM has invested $1 billion to enable employee teleworking.  The investment has paid for itself.  By encouraging employees to work from home – and by making it easy to do so – IBM has reduced annual facilities and support costs by $2 billion. 

Statistics show that nearly 103,000 federal employees were teleworking in 2008.  But there is enormous opportunity to expand telework as this number accounts for less than 9% of eligible federal employees. 

It is encouraging to see the federal government take steps like this that can both cut costs and improve productivity and performance.  At a time of burgeoning deficits, anything that helps the government do more with less is a welcome change. 

Please feel free to share your thoughts and feedback on telework and its potential impact.

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Daniel B. Prieto is Vice President and Practice Leader for IBM's Public Sector Strategy & Change consulting group. He also directs the Global Leadership Initiative, which provides thought leadership campaigns in cyber security, smarter government, and homeland security.

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