National Science Foundation and Telework Exchange Study Validates Telework Productivity Hypothesis

Business Wire, March 11, 2008

Shows Each NSF Employee Can Save $1,201 a Year by Teleworking

ALEXANDRIA, Va. -- The Telework Exchange(SM), a public-private partnership focused on telework, and the National Science Foundation (NSF), today announced the results of a joint study, "Telework Under the Microscope - A Report on the National Science Foundation's Telework Program." Based on survey responses from 87 percent of NSF's employees, the study shows that telework is a win-win-win for managers, employees, and the environment.

Among top-level findings, the study reveals that the majority of agency employees telework, and that 87 percent hold a positive view of telework in the Federal government. Importantly, the majority of managers who directly supervise teleworkers find those employees' productivity increases or remains the same while teleworking.

Other key study findings include:

* Micro View - NSF Agency Snapshot: Fifty-one percent of NSF employees telework, with 32 percent teleworking on a regular basis. Fifty-two percent of teleworkers are provided with a government-owned computer to support telework - the majority are laptops. Of note, 94 percent of teleworkers use high-speed Internet connections at home in support of telework

* Through Management's Lens - A Focus On Employees Who Manage Telework: Sixty-seven percent of employees who manage teleworkers, also telework themselves. Eighty-seven percent of these managers also report that employees' productivity increases or remains the same while teleworking. The majority of those who manage teleworkers do not find it difficult to evaluate teleworkers and find that telework requires minimal to no change to how work is done

* A Macro View - Going Green: On average, by not commuting, each NSF teleworker reclaims 62 hours of their lives back and saves $1,201 a year. Extrapolating those savings across the agency, NSF teleworkers collectively spare the environment over one million pounds of emissions and save more than $700,000 in commuting costs per year

"NSF clearly sees the value that telework offers to employees and the agency," said Anthony Arnolie, chief human capital officer, NSF. "Employees can win on three fronts - better work/life balance, reduced carbon footprints, as well as decreased commuting time and costs. The agency wins too as telework helps us recruit and retain highly-skilled workers and overall productivity increases. We are pleased with the success of our telework program and are dedicated to expanding telework in the future."

"NSF provides a great example of the importance of engaging management in the telework program," said Cindy Auten, general manager, Telework Exchange. "Our joint work on this study exemplifies how to operationalize public-private partnerships. The net of it, telework delivers a productivity bonus and should represent a win-win-win on all sides for employees, agencies, and the environment. We applaud NSF for its efforts and look forward to working with the agency to expand telework."

"Telework Under the Microscope - A Report on the National Science Foundation's Telework Program" is based on an agency-wide survey conducted by NSF in September 2007. The results are based on responses from 1,200 NSF agency employees. To download the full results of the study, please visit www.teleworkexchange.com/nsfstudy.> About the Telework Exchange, LLC

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 Federal teleworker community. The organization facilitates communication among Federal teleworkers, telework managers, and IT professionals. For more information on Telework Exchange, please visit www.teleworkexchange.com.

About the National Science Foundation

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is an independent Federal agency that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering, with an annual budget of $5.92 billion. NSF funds reach all 50 states through grants to over 1,700 universities and institutions. Each year, NSF receives about 42,000 competitive requests for funding, and makes over 10,000 new funding awards. The NSF also awards over $400 million in professional and service contracts yearly.

At the center of the effort to support America's scientific advancement, innovation, and competitiveness - NSF was ranked the fourth best small agency to work for in government by the 2007 Best Places to Work ranking. The ranking is produced by the Partnership for Public Service and American University's Institute for the Study of Public Policy Implementation (ISPPI). For more information on NSF, please visit www.nsf.gov.