Teleworking Through Irene

Washington, D.C., and the East Coast certainly have had their share of weather woes this week. First, a 5.8 magnitude earthquake strikes in Virginia, and now, the powerful Hurricane Irene is on its way.

It's ironic: I've been living in California for more than two years now, and I have yet to feel even a small earthquake. Yet Washington, D.C. and the East Coast, where I grew up, have been affected by or felt at least a couple of earthquakes these past couple of years.

Anyway, the point I'm really getting at here is that despite some early dismissals and the possibility for federal agencies to be closed, some agencies, most notably the Patent and Trademark Office, have their acts together when it comes to allowing employees to telework during emergency situations. But Federal Times reports that for most agencies, this is not the case.

The problem is that "people still view telework as a perk or a flexibility rather than as an asset," said Justin Johnson, deputy chief of staff at the Office of Personnel Management, at a FedScoop event on Wednesday. "Until agencies view telework as an asset and realize that they are in a competition for talent, some will surpass others" in establishing telework programs.

Under the requirements of the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, most agencies met the June 7 deadline to establish telework policies and notify employees of their eligibility to telework. But the threat of the hurricane may be the first true test of how strong those policies and plans really are.

Have you been notified of your eligibility to telework? Has your agency notified you of the option should Irene force your federal office to close?