The June 9 deadline for agencies to comply with the requirements of the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act is just one week away. And based on the results of a recent survey by Microsoft, teleworkers nationwide share many of the same likes, dislikes and concerns about working remotely as their federal colleagues.
The survey of more than 4,500 information workers in 15 metropolitan areas found that businesses, too, are embracing telework not only as a company perk for employees but as a business imperative. Employees' primary reasons for working remotely are: eliminating long commutes, better work/life balance and completing unfinished work. Businesses also see telework's potential in helping them tap into a larger talent pool, improve productivity, increase employee diversity and lower overhead costs, the survey found.
As in the federal government, telework was more widely supported among peers (45 percent) than managers (37 percent), Microsoft found. There also was a disconnect between employers and employees on the acceptable amount of telework: employees said nine days per month would be an acceptable amount, while employers thought four days per month was acceptable, according to the study.
Remote workers nationwide have a couple of pet peeves when it comes to teleworking, however: their inability to speak face-to-face and the lack of a quick response from colleagues, Microsoft found.
The 2010 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey by the Office of Personnel Management found that such pet peeves are not as common among federal workers, however. Compared with respondents not able to telework, for example, a higher percentage of teleworkers agree they have opportunities to showcase their talents (65 percent vs. 58 percent) and perceive that their colleagues engage in knowledge sharing (77 percent vs. 71 percent), according to OPM.
Still, while the Microsoft survey noted that 57 percent of businesses surveyed have a formal policy allowing employees to work remotely, it's clear that tech companies may not be touting such benefits just yet. Recent research by technology jobs website Dice.com found that less than 1 percent of jobs posted on Dice mention telework as an option. More than one-third of technology professionals also say they would cut their salary by up to 10 percent in exchange for telecommuting full-time, Dice found.
That's good news for the government, which is far ahead on telework implementation.