Bill to expand federal workers' telecommuting options falls short in House
Source: Washington Post
May 7, 2010
Legislation that would give federal workers the option to work from home ran into a significant roadblock Thursday, failing to get the two-thirds majority in the House that would have expanded telework options across the government.
The bill drew 268 votes of support in the House but fell nine short of passage because it was brought up under special fast-track rules. It could return to the floor later in the legislative calendar, but that is not assured.
Similar legislation awaits a vote in the Senate.
Although slightly different, the measures essentially require federal agencies to appoint telework managing officers to oversee new policies developed by each agency and the Office of Personnel Management. Employees could telework only if doing so would not affect agency operations. The bills prohibit workers who handle secure or classified materials or information or who perform tasks that cannot be performed remotely from teleworking.
About 61 percent of federal workers are eligible to telework, but only 5 percent do so regularly, according to the OPM. The agency's director, John M. Berry, has devoted most of his tenure to convincing lawmakers and other skeptics that telework options are necessary to help retain and recruit potential federal hires.
The Congressional Budget Office estimated that the House bill would cost $30 million, which Republicans deemed too expensive.
The bill's chief sponsor, Rep. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), argued that it would save taxpayer dollars in the long term, noting that federal employees who worked from home during this year's snowstorms saved the government about $30 million by maintaining operations.
"This bill would be a win for the taxpayer," Sarbanes said in a statement. "It would also bolster the federal workforce, improve traffic in the D.C. area, and reduce carbon emissions -- all in one fell swoop."
Sarbanes and others have used the snowstorms, subsequent federal snow days and President Obama's recent nuclear security summit as examples of how teleworking could help maintain government operations when downtown Washington is locked down.
Cindy Austen of the Telework Exchange, a group pushing for greater federal workplace flexibilities, said her organization will keep pushing for passage.
"We have to showcase not just what it means for federal workers, but we also have to do a good job of showing how agencies have progressed on telework and improved operations," Austen said.
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Monday, May 3, 2010
How to Handle Office Politics When You Aren’t In the Office
How to Handle Office Politics When You Aren’t In the Office
One of the problems with working remotely is that you’ll be out of the loop when it comes to office politics. At times, that may seem like a good thing — you can actually get work done rather than participating in all the discussions that happen around the water cooler. On the other hand, it’s not unheard of for someone to pass the blame for a problem to a colleague who isn’t around, and playing the office politics game can be the only way to land a promotion in some organizations. Just because you’re telecommuting doesn’t mean that you don’t need to know what’s going on back in the office.
Make Sure You’ve Got the Necessary Information
When it all comes down to it, a big element of office politics is gossip. That doesn’t make gossip a good thing, but it does mean that you need to make sure you’re aware of the stories passed around in the office. You won’t get that information in big online meetings — you have to build relationships on a one-on-one basis. That can mean making a point of emailing, calling or otherwise chatting with everyone who is back in the office that you can. If it’s geographically convenient, you can even go out to lunch on a regular basis.
Having those relationships are important for more reasons than just getting the gossip, though. It’s harder for the buck to get passed your way if you are an active participant in the office’s culture, whether or not you’re actually in the office. Higher-ups are also less likely to buy into such situations if they actually interact with you on a regular basis beyond the occasional email update or mass meeting.
Don’t Opt Out of Office Politics
It may be tempting to choose not to be a part of the behind-the-scenes discussions and negotiations that make up office politics since you’re telecommuting. Your lower stress levels from such a decision will be short-term, however. Office politics can be the reason that certain projects get funded and certain employees get promoted. You need to be involved enough that your opinions and input are considered in those sorts of decisions.
It doesn’t hurt if you have an advocate on the inside — someone actually in the office who will speak up for you at the water cooler, when you can’t possibly be there. While you don’t want to pin all of your office interaction hopes on one person, if there is someone who understands your situation and is sympathetic, office politics can get a lot easier. But you can’t convince someone to help you out unless you’re maintaining those ties inside the office — and you may not know that you need someone’s help until it’s too late.
One of the problems with working remotely is that you’ll be out of the loop when it comes to office politics. At times, that may seem like a good thing — you can actually get work done rather than participating in all the discussions that happen around the water cooler. On the other hand, it’s not unheard of for someone to pass the blame for a problem to a colleague who isn’t around, and playing the office politics game can be the only way to land a promotion in some organizations. Just because you’re telecommuting doesn’t mean that you don’t need to know what’s going on back in the office.
Make Sure You’ve Got the Necessary Information
When it all comes down to it, a big element of office politics is gossip. That doesn’t make gossip a good thing, but it does mean that you need to make sure you’re aware of the stories passed around in the office. You won’t get that information in big online meetings — you have to build relationships on a one-on-one basis. That can mean making a point of emailing, calling or otherwise chatting with everyone who is back in the office that you can. If it’s geographically convenient, you can even go out to lunch on a regular basis.
Having those relationships are important for more reasons than just getting the gossip, though. It’s harder for the buck to get passed your way if you are an active participant in the office’s culture, whether or not you’re actually in the office. Higher-ups are also less likely to buy into such situations if they actually interact with you on a regular basis beyond the occasional email update or mass meeting.
Don’t Opt Out of Office Politics
It may be tempting to choose not to be a part of the behind-the-scenes discussions and negotiations that make up office politics since you’re telecommuting. Your lower stress levels from such a decision will be short-term, however. Office politics can be the reason that certain projects get funded and certain employees get promoted. You need to be involved enough that your opinions and input are considered in those sorts of decisions.
It doesn’t hurt if you have an advocate on the inside — someone actually in the office who will speak up for you at the water cooler, when you can’t possibly be there. While you don’t want to pin all of your office interaction hopes on one person, if there is someone who understands your situation and is sympathetic, office politics can get a lot easier. But you can’t convince someone to help you out unless you’re maintaining those ties inside the office — and you may not know that you need someone’s help until it’s too late.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)