In CDW's Annual Telework Report they found the Federal Government is beating the Private Sector in the adoption of telecommuting. CDW estimates 44% of Federal employees have the option to telework, while it's only 15% in the Private Sector. I'm actually surprised at how high that number is... go Fed! With more opportunities to telework, I wonder if this trend will help them retain and potentially recruit more folks to work for the government. The report also found employees who have the option to telecommute to be happier; happier employees will definitely stick around longer and have less reason to look for another job.
I think with Washington DC being one of the worst traffic cities in the US and the location of most Federal jobs, their isn't much choice for Departments and Agencies but to have more folks telecommute to keep morale up. Commutes over 20-30 minutes, which is common in DC just sucks! Just ask metro riders in the summer when the Orange line is packed like sardines or the "slugs" standing outside in the snow waiting to be picked up. I know several folks who left their federal job or federal contracting project because they just got fed up with their commute downtown. I also remember many times people were in crappy moods all day at work because of a bad commute. Maybe all this time it hasn't been a environmental effort or an attempt to reduce traffic congestion, it was because the Fed is trying to make their employees less bitter ;)
