Feds on Telework: Most Aren't Satisfied

Survey results released Thursday give the first complete look at the number of federal employees participating in agency telework programs since a 2010 telework law was enacted.

The 2011 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey, which includes responses from a record 266,000 federal workers, found that only 38 percent of respondents said they were satisfied with their agency's telework program.

The survey also found that just 8.1 percent of respondents telework at least one entire day per week, while 12.7 percent telework less often. The bulk of employees (35 percent) said they do not telework because they have to be physically present on the job, while 11.9 percent said they simply choose not to telework. In addition, 6.8 percent of feds said they do not telework because of technical issues, and 25.7 percent said they do not telework because they did not receive approval to do so.

The survey results show a slight improvement over 2010, when just 35 percent of all federal workers said they were satisfied with their agency's telework program. But the number is down slightly since 2008, when 40 percent of workers were satisfied with telework programs. The results also show a decline in the number of teleworkers who telework at least once per week, down from 9.7 percent in 2010 to 8.1 percent in 2011.

The 2011 survey also found that only 27.2 percent of employees had been notified of their eligibility to telework, while 67.3 percent said they had not been notified and 5.5 percent were unsure. Under the requirements of the 2010 Telework Enhancement Act, agencies were required by June 7 to notify all agency employees of their eligibility status for telework. The 2011 employee survey was administered in April and May, before the law's June deadline.

How satisfied are you with your agency's telework program? Since responding to the survey, have you been notified of your eligibility to telework?