DC ranks in top 10 cities that support formal telework policies

The nation’s capital ranks seventh when it comes to adopting formal telework policies, according to the 2011 “Work Without Walls" report published by Microsoft. The company surveyed more than 4,500 information workers in 15 U.S. cities, and half said their company has a formal telework policy. Atlanta was the top-ranked telework city.

The survey’s index figures are based on preferences for teleworking, company policies that support remote working and the technologies that enable it, according to a Microsoft press release.

The biggest reason for D.C. residents to work remotely was to avoid traffic and long commutes, also a top motivator for federal workers, according to the survey. The government seems to be taking a page from the private sector as the June 6 deadline looms for agencies to implement the Telework Enhancement Act’s IT purchasing requirements.

Congestion is part of the impetus for large agencies, such as Defense Information Systems Agency, to update old policies and allow employees to work from home as frequently as three days per week.

For employers, including the federal government, the benefits of adopting telework policies include being able to tap into a larger pool of job applicants, increase productivity, ensure better employee diversity and lower overhead costs, said Ron Markezich, corporate vice president of Microsoft’s U.S. Enterprise and Partner Group.

Lync, Office 365, SharePoint and Windows Phone are some of the most popular Microsoft products used to increase productivity when working remotely, Markezich said.

Click here for more information on "Work Without Walls."