Communications and Technology Industry Research

A new study by Telework Exchange shows that 82 percent of federal employees spend work time outside of the office each month – a trend that has become more popular in recent years.

 

The study, “Out of the Office: Federal Mobile Workforce Trends,” also states that the federal government could save about $37 million in productivity per day by equipping mobile employees to buy back time.

 

“Mobile technology enables employees to work smarter and make the most of their time – regardless if they are a teleworker or mobile worker,” said Cindy Auten, general manager, Telework Exchange. “The study finds that the majority of respondents are already mobile – traveling to and from the office, their home office, meetings, client sites, etc. Mobile technology plays a critical role in empowering employees to remain productive, regardless of their location.”

 

Telework – a work arrangement in which employees enjoy flexibility in working location and hours – has become more popular as technology has become more advanced. It’s also known as telecommuting, e-commuting and e-work. Many work from home while others – known as nomad workers – use mobile telecommunications to work from other locations such as coffee shops.

 

Telework is facilitated by tool such as virtual private networks, videoconferencing and Voice over IP and can be efficient and useful for companies as it allows staff to commute over a large distance, saving travel time and money.

 

Telework Exchange is a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the tangible value of telework and serving the emerging educational and communication requirements of the federal teleworker community.

 

The study is based on a survey of 446 federal government employees, 82 percent of whom said they spend work time outside of the office each month, including telework, travel and meetings. Twenty-nine percent say they spend more time working outside of the office than they did last year.

 

Those who use a smartphone for work report an average time savings/productivity gain of 54 minutes per day. However, about 1.4 million federal employees spend some time out of the office with the technology to stay connected.

 

Other findings of the report are: 18 percent of federal employees work from their office all day, every day; 45 percent of telework at least part time; and 20 percent of office-based employees report spending at least a portion of two days per week outside of the office. The study also says that 16 percent of federal employees give their agency an “A” for equipping employees with mobile tools.

 

The organization facilitates communication among federal teleworkers, telework managers, and IT professionals. To download the full study results, please visit www.teleworkexchange.com/fedmobility.