Telework helps PTO employees stay productive through Sandy

Workforce

Telework helps PTO employees stay productive through Sandy

Despite the federal government closing its offices to the public on Monday and Tuesday, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was still able to average 70...

Jolie Lee

November 2, 2012 3:15 pm

< a min read

Despite the federal government closing its offices to the public on Monday and Tuesday due to superstorm Sandy, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office was still able to maintain a rate of 70 percent productivity, thanks to its telework policy.

PTO has about 7,000 employees teleworking from one to five days a week, with half of those working from home full-time.

“Despite the emergency circumstances and federal government closures, the USPTO and its employees shifted gears and performed admirably, demonstrating our leadership in telework for government agencies,” wrote PTO Director David Kappos in a blog post.

Kappos called the level of a productivity “a remarkable achievement, considering many of our examiners couldn’t participate because of widespread power outages.”

The trademark assistance call center to answer questions about the trademark process was fully operational during those two days, with “100 percent participation from the work-at-home employees,” Kappos wrote.

Kappos credited Senior Telework Advisor Danette Campbell, who was a 2012 Service to America Medal finalist.

Debilitating storm? No sweat for teleworking feds