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On Air: Federal News Network
By Max Cacas
FederalNewsRadio
More federal workers than ever find themselves spending work hours anywhere but behind their desks and in their office cubicles.
A newly released study by the Telework Exchange finds that 82 percent of recently polled federal workers spend their worktime outside of the office each month. That includes travel, meetings in other locations, and yes, teleworking.
Among 446 federal employees surveyed, only 18 percent now work from an office all day, everyday, according to Cindy Auten, general manager with the Telework Exchange.
“Only 16 percent give their agencies a grade ‘A’ for providing them with mobile tools,” she added in an interview at the Fall Telework Town Hall at the Reagan International Trade Center. Those tools include laptop computers, and so-called “smartphones” which include BlackBerrys.
Auten says agencies that rank high in the percentage of more highly mobile staff include the General Services Administration, the Commerce Department, and the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
“A lot of those offices rank high in their understanding the move to mobility, and the tools and the training to back it up in their agencies.”
Other findings from the study, entitled “Out of the Office: Federal Mobile Workforce Trends”:
- 42% of those responding say they telework at least part time (once a week, or once a month at some agencies).
- An average of 1.4 million federal employees spend worktime outside the office without a smartphone.
- Federal workers equipped with smartphones report an average time savings/productivity gain of 54 minutes per day.
- The federal government could save an estimated $37 million in additional productivity each day by properly equipping its mobile employees (based on an average federal hourly wage of $29.)
Auten says “Mobile technology plays a crucial role in empowering employees to remain productive, regardless of their location.”
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On the Web:
Telework Exchange study: Out of the Office: Federal Mobile Workforce Trends
Telework Exchange – http://www.teleworkexchange.com
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