HJR 144: Joint Subcommittee to Study Telework Opportunities for State and Private Sector Employees

July 12, 2006

The joint subcommittee created by House Joint Resolution 144 to study telework opportunities for public and private sector employees held its first meeting on July 12, 2006, in Richmond. Delegate Timothy D. Hugo, the patron of HJR 144, was elected chairman and Senator Jeannemarie Devolites Davis was elected vice-chairman.

Overview

Delegate Hugo indicated that there are three key drivers in establishing a telework policy in the Commonwealth. The first driver, congestion mitigation, is particularly relevant to regions such as Northern Virginia. The second two drivers—cost savings and preparing for continuity of government operations in the event of a disaster—are of interest and importance statewide.

Senator Devolites Davis talked about her interest in continuity of government issues that relate to teleworking, such as the need to have a sound policy in place in the event of a possible pandemic or homeland security event. Other issues the joint subcommittee will explore include:

• Mandating implementation of telework policies by the administration.
• Enforcing telework policy compliance by state agencies.
• Reviewing telework opportunities in the private sector.

Study Objectives

Current law and policies in the Commonwealth require that all agencies establish a telework policy and report annually to the Secretary of Administration as to participation in the program. There is little enforcement available to ensure that all agencies comply with this reporting and some agencies simply declare that all of its employees are ineligible for telecommuting. Based on the most recent reported data from 2005, only about 770 out of more than 70,000 state employees telework. Study objectives aim to:

• Identify state agencies that have operations which are conducive to telework or alternative work
  schedules.
• Recommend incentives to increase telework opportunities.
• Examine the impact of increased telework opportunities on continuity of government.
• Review the appropriateness of establishing a pilot telework program in one or more state agencies.
• Develop criteria for measuring the productivity of employees who telework.

Speakers

Charlene T. Robey, Commuter Services, Department of Rail and Public Transportation
Charlene Robey of the Department of Rail and Public Transportation (DRPT) provided an overview of the agency’s involvement in promoting telework opportunities in the Commonwealth. DRPT has been
involved in telework since the early 1990s, as part of its efforts to reduce the number of vehicles on the road in Virginia. Most recently, DRPT has been administering a program that provides financial incentives to private companies in the Northern Virginia region to create or expand telework
programs. DRPT is now looking at ways to develop a non-incentive based program to implement in the rest of the state, as well as developing telework learning modules for online distribution.

Work Plan

Chairman Hugo asked that members suggest ideas for a study work plan. Possible future agenda items include reporting on:

• Agencies that have identified qualified employees eligible for telework.
• Agencies that have declared their employees ineligible for telework to gain an understanding as to why.
• How productivity is best measured for employees who telework.
• Minimum technology requirements for teleworking.
• Fairfax County's telework program, which includes 20% of the county workforce.

Next Meeting

The next meeting date was not determined and will be posted on the study website as soon as available. Handouts and other information from the meeting may also be accessed on the website.

Chairman:
The Hon. Timothy D. Hugo

For information, contact:
Lisa Wallmeyer, Patrick Cushing, and Amigo Wade, DLS Staff

Website:
http://dls.state.va.us/telework.htm

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