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Welcome, today is Sunday, September 7, 2008 |
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Resource Center > Success Stories
American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA)
ASHA distinguished two types of telework - flexplace and telecommuting. Flexplace is a cooperative arrangement that allows an employee to work on a specific project from home or other work site outside the National Office on an occasional basis. Flexplace is a less formal arrangement than Telecommuting. All staff are eligible to participate, subject to their coach's approval. If you are using Flexplace, ASHA’s expectations are that:
- You need to work on a particular project or tasks
- You want/need seclusion and may request not to be interrupted. (These requests must be pre-planned and discussed ahead of time with your coach)
- Someone should be able to contact you in the event of an urgent/critical need
- Flexplace is not to be used in lieu of childcare
- Opportunities are granted at the discretion of the coach
- Your coach may request that you adjust your plans if issues should arise related to providing adequate coverage in your unit
- Coaches should monitor productivity and availability and address issues that do not further the goals of the team
Click here to read the full case study
Arizona Department of Administration
State of Arizona’s Telework Program - Recipient of the 2006 Telework Exchange "Excellence in State Program Leadership" Tele-Vision Award
The State of Arizona has been advancing the telework cause since 1989. Telework was mandated by Executive Order with the goal of having 20 percent of the 21,000 State employees in Maricopa County actively participate. Today, 3,700 employees, or more than 17 percent of the State workforce in Maricopa County, are teleworkers. Current estimates show that State teleworkers drive 4.5 million fewer miles annually, generate 75 fewer tons of air pollution, and endure 155,000 fewer hours of stressful driving time. State agencies are adopting flexible work options to reduce employee stress, turnover, and burnout, while increasing employee morale, productivity, and retention. With an employee replacement cost of $50 million per year, the telework program delivers significant potential savings to Arizona taxpayers, as a meaningful factor in the retention of qualified employees.
Related News
Arizona Telework Program Shares its Success with Others - November 1, 2006
The Teleworker
City of Rockville
The City implemented its telework program for several reasons. The program is an employee benefit. It reduces parking demand at City Hall. "We also wanted to be helpful on clean air and reducing Rockville traffic congestion," explains Mary Kate Cole, a personnel administrator for Rockville. "The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments adopted a resolution in April 2000 that set a goal for employers to have 20 percent of their workforce teleworking by 2005," recalls Cole. "The City received a grant from MWCOG to help launch the program."
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Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA), Department of Defense
DISA Telework SWAT Team - Recipient of the 2007 Telework Exchange "Best New Telework Initiative" Tele-Vision Award
DISA leadership recognized early on that the successful implementation of an expanded telework program would require extensive cultural change across all levels of management and the senior leadership. To meet these challenges, DISA chartered a telework "SWAT" team - led by a senior human resources manager and senior IT manager - to provide critical guidance and expertise to ensure the program was up and running within 90 days. In addition to making recommendations on the standard equipment for teleworkers and network security practices, the SWAT team developed and provided training to DISA employees and management. DISA also implemented a new policy for determining employee telework eligibility, resulting in more than 2,000 more eligible employees. Since this policy change, the number of participants teleworking on a regular and recurring basis increased eight-fold and continues to increase towards agency goals.
Related News
HR/CIO Link is Key to Telework Success, Says DISA Official - August 16, 2007
Federal Computer Week
Lawmakers Disappointed by Federal Telework Gains - June 25, 2007
Federal Computer Week
Defense Agency Opens Telecommuting Center at Fort Meade - May 16, 2007
Baltimore Examiner
DISA Makes Huge Strides in Telework Program - February 1, 2007
The Teleworker
DOD Gets on the Telework Bus - June 26, 2006
Government Computer News
High-Tech Defense Office Takes Lead On Telecommuting - November 20, 2006
Washington Post
DISA Fights Turnover With Telecommuting - January 25, 2006
Washington Post
Fairfax County Government
Fairfax County implemented a pilot telework program in 1995. As a result of a successful pilot which lasted approximately one year, the County decided to implement the program County-wide to all departments. In 2002 the then and current chairman of the Fairfax County board of supervisors, Gerry Connolly, was also the chairman of MW-COG. As the chairman of MW-COG he made telework his primary initiative for MW-COG and established a 20% participation goal for all of the jurisdictions of MW-COG. He asked that all jurisdictions meet a goal of having 20% of eligible employees participating in the telework program by the end of 2005. In Fairfax, board of supervisors chair Gerry Connolly directed the county executive to enhance the county’s existing telework program to meet the regional goal.
Click here to read the full case study
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)
FAA’s Flights Standards, Western Pacific Region, San Francisco International Field Office - Recipient of the 2006 Telework Exchange "Best New Telework Initiative" Tele-Vision Award
The FAA Flight Standards conducts Air Carrier/Repair Station certification and surveillance on 94 entities in the Asia Pacific region, responsible for issuing foreign entities FAA certificates to work on U.S. aircraft and products. To meet this mission, teleworking is being used for inspectors working with operators nationwide. In October 2005, this organization built an interactive website based on the FAA Knowledge Services Network (KSN) to manage virtual office operation. This information-sharing website enhances employee and industry communications, and tracks costs, approvals, inspector contacts, projects, and tasks. A primary objective of this new initiative is to implement a reliable telework management system with the necessary tools inspectors need to do their jobs.
Related News
FAA’s Virtual Office Puts the Agency a Jump Ahead in Preparedness - June 2006
The Teleworker
Ronald Simmons, Scientific and Technical Advisor for Federal Aviation Administration Comments on Secure Teleworking - March 23, 2006
WTOP
Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC)
FDIC’s Telework Program - Recipient of the 2006 Telework Exchange "Innovative Application of Technology to Support Telework" Tele-Vision Award
The FDIC’s voluntary telework program supports the Corporation’s goal to enhance employee flexibility and improve work/life balance, while meeting FDIC workload and mission demands. The FDIC offers a suite of remote access services, including a Remote Client Network (RCN), a Virtual Private Network (VPN), and a dial-up service. Recently, the FDIC rolled out a token-based system that delivers all FDIC employees secure remote access from any computer with Internet access and a web browser. The Web Enabled Remote Client Network (WebRCN) makes is possible for every eligible FDIC employee with access to a computer to participate in the Telework Program. In 2005 more than 2,300 FDIC employees participated in program working a combined total of more than 266,000 hours.
Related News
FDIC Honored for Telework Technology - June 21, 2006
FedNews-Online
GeoConcepts Engineering, Inc.
GeoConcepts was one of the first firms to join the Telework Virginia! Program in 2000. Vivian Lewis, the President of GeoConcepts, had prior experience with telework and decided that the benefits could be leveraged into aiding in the start-up of their new business. GeoConcepts’ telework program officially began in 2001. "Telework Virginia! was a great mechanism to help us jump start our business, attract employees and increase morale." GeoConcepts’ primary goal for their telework program was to retain and attract highly qualified employees who might otherwise be concerned by the length of their commutes. GeoConcepts is a family oriented company that is committed to being an employer of choice in the Metropolitan Washington region. At the conclusion of the two-year pilot program with Telework Virginia! GeoConcepts had five people teleworking, mainly women who were allowed to balance their work and family requirements more easily and improve their quality of life.
Click here to read the full case study
Internal Revenue Service (IRS)
IRS, Agency-Wide Shared Services Virtual Office Program - Recipient of the 2007 Telework Exchange "Innovative Application of Technology to Support Telework" Tele-Vision Award
The IRS Virtual Office initiative expects to dramatically expand traditional telework within the agency, making employees’ home offices their primary workplace. The IRS Virtual Office initiative established three pilot configurations for telework, tailored to the specialized needs of specific job functions in a virtual office environment. In addition, the agency established new and reusable processes for remote maintenance and troubleshooting. The IRS deployed a range of technologies to support its remote workforce, including SharePoint team rooms, secure messaging, Virtual Private Networks (VPN), multi-functional printing devices, and remote communications routing. As a result, the agency was able to maintain operations during the June 2006 flooding that closed much of the headquarters building. The agency projects a real estate savings of approximately $585,000 for 150 pilot participants. They noted the Virtual Office initiative has and will be an invaluable recruiting advantage.
Related News
Flood Floats Telework to Top Priority at IRS - February 12, 2007
Federal Computer Week
IRS Flood Spurs Telecommuting - June 30, 2006
Computerworld
IRS Closed for a Month for Flood Repairs - June 29, 2006
Business Week
IRS Telework Adds High-Speed Access, Saves Millions - March 24, 2006
FedNews-Online
Kane County, Illinois
Just west of Chicago’s Cook County lies Kane County, the fourth largest in Illinois. Thanks to its fast growth, currently 17th fastest in the nation, Kane County will soon be the third biggest county in Illinois. Largely an affluent commuter suburb of Chicago, the county boasts a population of just over 400,000 citizens, 1,450 county employees, and a yearly budget of $460 million. Kane County’s IT group supports 2,000 PCs across a region of 500 square miles, all with a team of four desktop technicians. A given desktop help ticket could involve a total drive time of two hours. Furthermore, the hardware and staff costs of replacing 2,000 PCs every four years really add up. Kane County is using VMware Virtual Desktop Infrastructure (VDI) to help manage their dispersed desktop user base, lower IT staff costs, and increase user satisfaction.
Click here to read the full case study
KPMG, LLP
KPMG’s telework program allows eligible employees to perform some of their work at home or at an alternative work location. The program is an integral part of KPMG’s culture of flexibility and one of the many Alternative Work Arrangements (AWA) available at the Audit, Tax and Advisory firm. In order to remain a competitive employer of choice in its industry, KPMG decided long ago that it needed to be flexible regarding where and when people work. "We wanted to be more attractive to both potential and current employees," explains Kristen Piersol, Manager of Workplace Solutions - Midatlantic Area.
Click here to read the full case study
Loudoun County, Commonwealth of Virginia
Loudon County Telework Program - Recipient of the 2007 Telework Exchange "State and Local Government Telework Program" Tele-Vision Award
Loudoun County re-launched its telework program enabling County workers the option to telework, with a goal of reaching 10% participation among non-public safety employees in 2006 and 20% participation by the end of 2007. The County has taken a bottoms-up and top-down approach to implementing telework, evaluating department and work group goals and soliciting feedback from employees and managers. As a result of the program changes, the County met its participation goal for 2006 and is on track to reach the 20% in 2007 as it prepares to convert entire work groups to become full-time teleworkers. The County benefited in 2006 from a turnover rate among teleworkers that was 10.4% lower than the overall County turnover rate, and unscheduled leave used by teleworkers averaged 5% less than the County-wide average.
Related News
Business Briefs - June 12, 2007
Loudoun Times-Mirror
Loudoun County Telework Program Recognized - June 7, 2007
Leesburg Today
Macro International Inc.
Macro International Inc. - a consulting firm that specializes in research and evaluation, management consulting, marketing and communications, and information technology - employs approximately 950 full- and part-time people nationwide, with most concentrated in its two Washington, D.C. area offices (located in Bethesda and Calverton, Maryland). The company began its formal telework program in 2003, although some employees teleworked on an informal basis for years prior to that time.
Click here to read the full case study
National Institutes of Health (NIH)
Telework initially began at NIH as a flexible workplace arrangement benefit that was primarily used by employees as an accommodation to meet short-term medical needs. A successful one year pilot in 2001 to examine its benefits, costs, and impacts on employees, management, and the organization resulted in an expansion of the early initiative to a fully implemented program. Participation has grown steadily as Contact Shirley LaBella NIH Telework Coordinator 301-496-2288 labellas@od.nih.gov a result of several things, recruiting and retention efforts, a new leadership team, and continuity of operations planning. "Telework has proven itself to be a win-win strategy for increasing both employee satisfaction and productivity", says Christine Major, Director of the NIH Office of Human Resources. "Ours is an evolving model, with staff in a growing number of positions able to work effectively wherever they are and enjoy the benefits of telework." The goal of the program is to help staff be successful and effective with teleworking so that in the long term, they contribute to a business solution trusted by managers, peers and the organization - a responsibility not taken lightly by NIH.
Click here to read the full case study
National Wildlife Federation
Background National Wildlife Federation launched its telework program about five years ago. The motivation for starting the program was twofold. Telework fits the Federation’s mission as a conservation organization, helping it to reduce traffic and thus giving it "a chance to walk the talk," explains human resources director Maria Litman. The Federation’s second reason: attract and retain employees by helping people achieve work-life balance. Telework enhanced the Federation’s flexible work schedule program by providing employees with another option: They could work a condensed-hour day (4/10), a half-day every two weeks, or telework. People also have the option of working around a certain number of hours versus days.
Click here to read the full case study
Southern Maryland Electric Cooperative (SMECO)
In 2006, a committee was formed consisting of IT, Customer Service, HR, and Security as well as union representatives. The committee surveyed other cooperatives in an attempt to research other programs and best practices. SMECO found only one COOP in the Midwest that has implemented a telework program establishing themselves as a telework pioneer on the East Coast. The committee drafted telework procedures, remote office space procedures and requirements, technology needs and guidelines around the acceptable use of the Internet. In some cases existing policies and procedures were modified to accommodate the telework program Pre teleworking, SMECO had policies and procedure in place with regard to the use of the Internet, work procedures and equipment. The new procedures addressed uses from a home office location.
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Tinker Air Force Base
Oklahoma City Air Logistics Center at Tinker Air Force Base, who is responsible for keeping large military bombers and transports at peak operating condition, deployed a wireless mobility solution to assist with the tracking of maintenance forms so technicians can record, update, and access critical information at the point-of-maintenance. The Tinker Air Force Base offers a successful wireless deployment that can be used as a best practice model and repurposed, considering wireless solutions benefit teleworkers and the environments in which they work.
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Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TIGTA)
TIGTA’s Telecommuting Program - Recipient of the 2006 Telework Exchange "Excellence in Telework Leadership" Tele-Vision Award
TIGTA’s telework program grew out of a task group that had been formed to make TIGTA a better place to work and to position the agency as an employer- of-choice. Every time the task group met, its members talked about wanting the flexibility to work from anywhere. "Telework just seemed to fit the bill," recalls Donna Leach, Human Resources Specialist & Telework Program Manager. The task group talked with the inspector general (IG - the head of the agency) and proposed a pilot program. TIGTA itself was formed January 1999. The agency implemented its telework pilot in September 2000. The pilot was supposed to last nine to 12 months, but after six months the agency cut it short and made plans to move ahead. Program implementation began in August 2001.
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Related News
Joseph Hungate, CIO of TIGTA Comments on Telework as a Continuity of Operations Measure - March 1, 2006
WTOP
U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA)
Related News
Keeping Telework on Track: Automated Tracking Systems Enhance Accountability - August 2007
The Teleworker
USDA Telework Profile: Three Very Different Missions With Very Similar Telework Programs - February 2007
The Teleworker
Network Upgrades, Cots are Part of USDA's Pandemic Plan - December 8, 2006
Computerworld
Jody Nyers of the USDA Comments on Telework as a Work/Life Balance Tool - March 6, 2006
WTOP
United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO), Department of Commerce
Trademark Work at Home Program - Recipient of the 2006 Telework Exchange "Telework Program with Maximum Impact on Government" Tele-Vision Award
The Trademark Work at Home program began in 1997 as a feasibility pilot of eighteen teleworkers. Today, TWAH is a comprehensive program involving more than 220 employees (80 percent of eligible examining attorneys) who spend the majority of their workweek at home and share office through a hoteling arrangement. Each employee is provided with the necessary equipment for secure remote access to the agency’s network and automated systems enable users to perform all of their trademark examination duties electronically. The TWAH program has proven to be an innovative telework prototype. By incorporating measurable performance goals in the evaluation of worker performance, Trademarks has created a model of an extremely successful telecommuting program for government agencies.
Trademark Work at Home Program - Testimonials from Trademark Work-at-Home participants
Patents Hoteling Program - Recipient of the 2007 Telework Exchange "Best New Telework Initiative" Tele-Vision Award
The Patents Hoteling Program (PHP) is the primary telework program for USPTO’s Patent Examiners. Started in January 2006, the PHP now includes 910 participating examiners who work from home four days per week and share reserved office space one day a week on the agency’s Alexandria, Virginia campus. Major PHP components include remote online access to required USPTO patent business systems, job performance tools, patent information, and patent application documentation. Examiners working from home also have access to collaborative communication technologies which enable collaboration among colleagues and supervisors. USPTO plans to have 3,000 Patent Examiners working from home, at least four days per week, by 2011.
Deborah Cohn, Deputy Commissioner for Trademark Operations, USPTO - Recipient of the 2007 Telework Exchange "Telework Driver" Tele-Vision Award
Deborah Cohn pioneered the development of the USPTO’s first telework program in 1997, at a time when telework was not considered the norm in public or private sector organizations. With her foresight, creativity, and perseverance, Ms. Cohn convinced agency executives to test the concept, and forged coalitions with stakeholders, including managers, IT personnel, and the employee union. The result was creation of the innovative telework program at the USPTO called the Trademark Work At Home (TWAH) program. This program, now considered to be the gold standard for telework in the Federal government, has become an accepted telework prototype, which combines management by objective with hoteling, and results in documented space and related cost savings for the agency. Thanks to Ms. Cohn’s efforts, 85% of eligible Trademark employees now work at home at least one day per week and more than 200 Trademark Examining Attorneys work at home a majority of the week and reserve space in "hoteling" offices when they come into the office. This award recognizes Ms. Cohn’s contribution to the telework community for her vision, tenacity, and creativity that have transformed her initial idea into an accepted standard for business-based alternative work arrangements that support the current and future requirements of the public sector workforce.
Related News
Working From Home a Work in Progress - June 19, 2007
Washington Post
USPTO Celebrates a Decade of Telework - June 6, 2007
ag-IP-news
USPTO's Telework Program Sets the Bar - April 2, 2007
Federal Computer Week
USPTO Hopes Budget Will Help More Examiners Telework - February 5, 2007
Federal Computer Week
USPTO Telework Advisor Testifies Before Congress - November 1, 2006
The Teleworker
Trademark Office to Experiment with Telecommuting - October 25, 2006
The Washington Post
Danette Campbell, Telework Manager at United States Patent and Trademark Office, Discusses the Positive Impact of Telework - March 24, 2006
WTOP
Patent Office Launching Massive Telework Program - December 16, 2005
Government Executive
News Highlights for Other Telework Success Stories
Head of the Class - Telework Exchange 2007 Tele-Vision Awards - August 2007
The Teleworker
Highlights recipients of the second annual 2007 Telework Exchange "Tele-Vision" Awards reception on June 7
NIH Takes Pain Out of Telework Approval Process - August 2007
The Teleworker
This article discusses how the National Institutes of Heath (NIH) recently automated their entire approval and renewal process for employees participating in telework programs
Labor: Telework Could Save Employees Money, Report Says - November 16, 2005
National Journal's Technology Daily
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