Officials tout telecommuting

Officials tout telecommuting

Apr 05, 2010 (News and Messenger - McClatchy-Tribune Information Services via COMTEX) -- WOODBRIDGE, Va. -- On Friday, Bob Fenlason sat in his office cubicle dressed in a polo shirt, shorts and a pair of Sperry Topsiders shoes. Instead of his downtown Washington office at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Fenalson spends his Fridays at the Woodbridge Telework Center, where he authors project reports and files them remotely.

Monday through Thursday, Fenalson spends his time in meetings, talking face to face with coworkers as they manage a project in Ohio. Today, from a cubicle complete with a computer, a phone and a window with a view to the world outside, he enjoys the quiet focus and conveniences the telework center provides.

"Getting up at 8:30 in the morning is much better than getting up at 4:30 in the morning," said Fenlason, who lives in Woodbridge.

He was one of a handful of people who chose to work from the center Friday, and was there when Rep. Gerald E. "Gerry" Connolly dropped by to discuss the importance of telecommuting. The legislator is sponsoring a bill that would require all federal agencies to allow their workers to work at least 20 hours a week remotely.

"What's hindering teleworking is mentality," said Connolly. "We have to change the management mentality that says 'If I can't see you here at the office, then you must be at home watching soap operas.' " The Woodbridge center on Minnieville Road has 16 cubicles identical to the one Fenalson uses. They're rented to federal employees--through their agencies--for $72 a day. Many users bring their own PDAs or Smart Phones, and their own laptop computers. Users can access files remotely at computer servers provided to them through their agencies.

In recent years, the number of users has grown.

"When I came here four years ago, we had about 55 percent capacity, and now the center is at 89 percent capacity and growing," said Robert H. Wilson, the center's executive director.

As telecommuting catches on, many more private companies and federal agencies are allowing more workers to spend more time in centers and less time in the actual office. "Hoteling" workers, as it's called, is designed to save companies money by not having to operate a full working office.

The center keeps would-be commuters off area roads and inside Prince William County, where an estimated 65 percent of residents work elsewhere. Keeping workers inside the county also stimulates the local economy, said Prince William Regional Chamber of Commerce President Laurie C. Weider.

Federal employee Janice Grant still drives to Reston four days a week, but she spends Friday at the telework center. While she could do most of what she does from her home, she opts to use the center because of its professional environment.

"When it comes to working remotely, you have to know yourself and know what you're capable of. If I was at home, I could get distracted and go do a load of laundry, or get involved with something at the house. Because the government is paying me for eight hours worth of work, I'm going to give them eight hours of solid work," said Grant.

Introduced March 25, Connolly's bill now sits in committee awaiting Congressional review.

Staff writer Uriah A. Kiser can be reached at 703-878-8065.