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Bank on Telework
The Telework Week 2012 Impact and Year-over-
Year Benchmark
May 2, 2012
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Following the success of Telework Week
2011, Telework Exchange and Cisco
launched Telework Week 2012, an effort
to encourage agencies, organizations,
and individuals to pledge to telework from
Monday, March 5 to Friday, March 9,
2012.
This report illustrates the impact of a
single week, captures feedback from
participants, and reviews year-over-year
successes in terms of time,
environmental, and cost savings.
Introduction
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Key Findings
Telework Week Boom: Telework Week 2012 saw an 80% increase in pledges over Telework
Week 2011; 71,324 total pledges
Feds Lead the Way: 94% of pledges were Feds; Federal telework participation increased by
97% since 2011
Telework Week Delivers Big Savings: Telework Week 2012 saved pledges a total of
6,413,006 miles; 251,774 hours; 3,453 tons of pollutants; and $5,651,890 on commuting
Telework Revolution: If all Telework Week 2012 pledges teleworked two days a week for
one year, they would collectively save: $282,594,515 or $3,962 individually
Growing Benefits: Telework Week 2012’s participating organizations saw
improved productivity (up to 71% in 2012 from 60% in 2011), and increased continuity of
operations (up to 71% in 2012 from 52% in 2011)
Telework Gets Smoother: Just one in five organizations encountered challenges – such as
technical issues – during Telework Week 2012, versus nearly one in three during Telework
Week 2011
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Telework Week Boom
Take Away: Telework Gains Traction; Organizations Note Growing Participation
*39,694 employees teleworked during Telework Week 2011 **Of those organizations that participated in Telework Week 2011
71,324pledges
in 2012
an 80% increase in
participation over 2011*
90%of organizations said
Telework Week
participation grew
among employees
from 2011 to 2012**
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D.C. Metro area:
50,390 pledges
(a 72% increase from 2011)
201,560 trips avoided*
Take Away: D.C. Sees Biggest Commuter Impact; Telework Week Goes Global
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All 50 states participated
in Telework Week 2012
Across the Globe
Telework Week 2012
also drew teleworkers
from:
Canada
India
Ireland
United Kingdom
The rest of the U.S.:
20,924 pledges
(a 103% increase from 2011)
*Based on 50,390 pledges and an average of two telework days and two trips per day per pledge
Global Participation
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General Ledger
94% of pledges work for the Federal government;
Federal participation increased by 97% from 2011
Prior to Telework Week 2012, 56% teleworked at least
once a week, 24% teleworked on an ad-hoc basis,
and 11% were first-time teleworkers
On average, participants commute 48 miles roundtrip
to the office
During Telework Week 2012, the average pledge:
Teleworked 2 days at home
Used a laptop, phone, email, and Virtual Private
Network (VPN) connection
Take Away: Feds Lead the Way; Telework Becomes Standard Operating Procedure
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*Based on various cost factors including average vehicle miles per gallon and CO2 emissions, gas, wear and tear, and maintenance
**Assumes one tree offsets 250 kg of pollutant emissions a year
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Take Away: Telework Saved Time and Money
Avoided driving
6,413,006 miles
Gained back
251,774 hours
Spared 3,453 tons
of pollutants*
Saved $5,651,890
on commuting*
Calculating Commutes
12,527 trees would need to be planted, approximately, to equal the
emissions saved during Telework Week**
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Take Away: Feds Score Big on Telework
Avoided driving
5,994,006 miles
Gained back
235,422 hours
Spared 3,022 tons
of pollutants
Saved $5,168,831
on commuting*
*Based on various cost factors including average vehicle miles per gallon and emissions, gas, wear and tear, and maintenance **Based
on 1.2 million eligible Federal employees: http://www.telework.gov/Reports_and_Studies/Annual_Reports/2010teleworkreport.pdf
Feds Bank on Telework
$5B Saved if all eligible Federal employees teleworked twice a week for one year**
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Take Away: Teleworkers Showcase Impact
Year-Over-YearSavings
Miles avoided:
3.8M
6.4M2012
2011
Tons of pollutants spared:
3,453
1,818
2012
2011
Hours gained:
2012
2011
Commuting costs saved:*
2012
2011
148,692
251,774
*Based on various cost factors including average vehicle miles per gallon and emissions, gas, wear and tear, and maintenance
$2.7M
$5.6M
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*Based on Telework Week savings of $5,651,890 x 50 week work year
**Calculation based on aggregate pledge data indicating the average participant teleworked two days during Telework Week
Annual Impact
If all Telework Week 2012 pledges teleworked this
way for one year, they would collectively save:
$282,594,515* or $3,962** per person
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Take Away: Employee Satisfaction, Productivity, and COOP Largest Leaps
Organizations: What benefits did you realize during Telework Week?*
68%72%
60%
52% 52%
79% 79%
71% 71%
62%
20%
40%
60%
80% 2011 2012
Enhanced morale/
employee
satisfaction
Improved
employee
work/life balance
Increased
productivity
Improved
continuity of
operations
Improved
understanding of
telework best practices
Saving Morale
*Respondents asked to select all that apply
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Take Away: Management Gains Interest
Why?Improved ROI tracking may help.
Organizations are using metrics
including:
Employee productivity
Reduction in commute time/costs
Real estate cost savings
Employee satisfaction
Employee retention
Energy savings
Is your management team more
open to and encouraging of
telework today vs. one year ago?*
*According to participating organizations
Managers Buy-in
60% say yes
62%say yes
2011
2012
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Saving Time
Take Away: Participants Report Productivity Gains
75 percent
of individuals
say employee productivity
increased while teleworking Participants estimated they
added an extra 2 hours in
productive time to their workday
as a results of teleworking*
*In 2011 and 2012, compared to the average day in the office
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Take Away: Telework Pilots Pay Off; Challenges Declining
Did your organization encounter any
challenges related to teleworking
during Telework Week?
Employees say:
“Connecting to my desktop information
and shared drives was quite simple.”
“I was surprised at how easy everything
was and how available the Internet
connections were.”
“The network connection was not slow due
to the increased usage. I had no problem
logging on to the VPN.”
“I was surprised I could get connectivity
to almost everything I needed.”
32%
21%
2011 2012
Yes:
Challenges still faced include: technical issues
(61%); trust issues (11%); communication issues
(10%)*
*Of those pledges that experienced challenges, n=401; respondents asked to select all that apply
Decreasing Pain Points
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Take Away: Employees Cite Telework as Top Perk
65% & 69%in 2011 in 2012
of respondents say that,
when they consider
future positions, they will
give preference to
positions that offer
telework
Investing in Assets
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Take Away: Plan, Communicate, Collaborate, Connect
Making the
Investment
Organizations: Based on your Telework Week 2012 and other telework
experiences, what do you believe is most important to successful telework?
“Good communication
infrastructure and good IT
support.”
“Transparency and
accountability.”“Collaborative tools like workgroup chat rooms, desktop
video meetings, and online presence indicators.”
“A good working relationship with staff, clear
expectations, and measurable work.”
“Leadership support.”
“A definitive plan, two-way communications, and
management involvement in the planning process.”
“Ensuring connectivity to
our Intranet and other
internal networks.”
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Forecasting
Get Structured: Develop a telework program that is
defined and clear. Make sure employees and
managers have a strong communication strategy in
place
Look at the Numbers: Calculate telework savings
and cost avoidance for employees and organization;
present as a business case
Tackle Technical Issues: Take a hard look at the
technical impediments to a successful telework
program and face the challenges
Encourage Continued Management Support:
Install Return on Investment (ROI) measures and
share the benefits to keep management on board
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Pledge Case Study
USDA had 7,516 pledges from 29 different agencies
and sub-organizations participate in Telework Week
2012.
Collectively, USDA pledges saved:
$1,065,268 in commuting costs
464 tons of pollutants
USDA Making a Commitment to Participate in National Telework Week:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GamfGhLJzGA
“The impact of USDA’s participation in Telework Week has resulted in a significant increase in
telework participation throughout the entire month of March. Many USDA agencies that do not
have a large demographic of employees eligible to regularly telework were able to leverage
Telework Week to implement more wide-spread use of telework. The result was a marked increase
from our 2011 participation, and has helped considerably in promoting the numerous benefits of
telework to our executives, managers, supervisors, employees, and the American public that we
serve.” – William P. Milton Jr., Telework Managing Official (TMO), USDA
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Pledge Case Study
GSA had almost 8,000 staff participate in Telework
Week (approx 65% of the agency)
93% said they and their teams were as productive
- or more productive - than normal
97% said their Telework Week experience was
positive
GSA saved over 273,000 miles in commuting
during Telework Week
"GSA has been a strong proponent for telework, so this year we focused our efforts beyond simply
teleworking, and emphasized the need for better performance while teleworking. We created
a comprehensive campaign to encourage new teleworkers to give it a try while encouraging veterans
to hone their skills and make better use of available tools. We heard success stories from across the
agency, ranging from individuals who stepped out of their comfort zone to whole business lines
teleworking together - all while still delivering quality service for our customers."
– Victoria Hartke, Acting Regional Commissioner, GSA Telework Week Lead
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Pledge Case Study
The State of Virginia had 2,327 pledges from more than 100
different departments participate in Telework Week 2012.
Collectively, State of Virginia pledges saved:
$197,686 in commuting costs
126 tons of pollutants
“Again this year Virginia’s strong participation in Telework Week demonstrated that our workforce is
focused on serving the citizens of the Commonwealth in an efficient, effective, and productive
manner. We continue to find that telework supports our goals of increased employee productivity
and engagement; business continuity readiness; along with reduced traffic and wear and tear on
public transportation in the state. Telework Week continues to be a great way to build awareness
and focus on telework across all of the Commonwealth’s agencies and departments.” –
Sara Wilson, Director for Human Resource Management, Commonwealth of Virginia
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“Telework Week 2012 is an opportunity to highlight the many benefits of
telework – enabling us to enhance workplace efficiency, improve the
environment, ensure our safety, and improve our quality of life,” –
Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), author of the Telework Enhancement Act of
2010
“Agencies are making great progress expanding telework participation under
the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010. I applaud the effort required in
implementing these telework policies, and congratulate Federal agencies and
private sector partners on the progress being made to expand the use of
telework, as it will be one of the essential workforce management tools for
recruiting the next generation of Federal employees. Telework Week provided
an opportunity to highlight the success of our efforts and expand upon them.” –
Rep. Gerry Connolly (D-Va.)
Congress Voices Support
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Telework Week
Partners
Thank You to the Telework Week Partners for their Support
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Methodology
Methodology:
Collected data from Telework Week participants; Executed a follow-up online survey
to capture impressions and lessons learned
Sample and Savings Calculations:
Savings calculations are based on Telework Exchange value calculators and the full
group of 71,324 Telework Week participants from around the world; 67,308 from the
Federal government. Post-Telework Week impressions are based on a survey of
participants, 1,793 individual responses, 24 organizational responses. Commuting
calculations are based on various cost factors including average vehicle miles per
gallon and emissions, wear and tear, and maintenance, with gas prices set at the
national average of $3.39 per gallon
Margin of Error:
The post-Telework Week individual survey has a margin of error of +/- 2.21% at 95%
confidence
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About Telework Exchange
About CiscoCisco believes telework is part of a larger trend toward borderless collaboration in government.
The vision is to enable a sustainable, inclusive, and resilient government workforce that can
educate, protect and serve – regardless of location. Cisco is a provider and strong user of telework
solutions, such as the Cisco Virtual Office. Cisco has 70,000+ teleworkers/day extenders:
28% of the workforce is part of a distributed team, and 23% are on the road
63% of the managers manage at least 1 person remotely
40% of Cisco employees do not work in the same city as their manager
More than 70% work from home at least one day a week
For more information, please visit www.cisco.com/go/govtelework.
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 telework
community. The organization facilitates communication among teleworkers, telework managers,
and IT professionals.
About the Authors
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Thank you.
For more information, contact:
Cindy [email protected]
(703) 489-1185