More than 27 percent of the state’s classified workforce positions are telework eligible. Yet only a little bit over 10 percent of these employees telework on a regular or limited basis. What’s clear from this gap is that there is plenty of room for agencies to expand their use of telework.
The results of a recent Microsoft survey of government workers shows that employees are very interested in teleworking opportunities. Of those responding that they did not telework in their current job, nearly half said they would strongly consider a career move if another comparable opportunity arose which included the chance to telework! To bolster retention and engagement of key employees, agency leadership at all levels should review and start to focus on bridging the telework gap.
To help support agency efforts to expand telework, the Agency Human Resource Services (AHRS) group in the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) has developed a new web page providing guidance and assistance for supervisors and managers interested in supporting telework in their organization.
Virginia is again participating in Telework Week which will be held this year during the week of March 5-9. This is the second year of this annual public-private partnership initiative that encourages government agencies, businesses, and individuals to pledge to telework during a specific one week period. The event is hosted by the Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework.
Existing state and agency telework policies should guide participation in Telework Week. Employees allowed to telework during this event must be assigned to positions designated as eligible for telework and they must have active telework agreements on file. DHRM’s telework policy can be found here.
Telework Week provides a great opportunity for agencies to review positions that are approved for telework and expand telework opportunities where appropriate. If you have questions or would like assistance in expanding telework at your agency, please contact your assigned AHRS consultant