# Presentation: 562954

## DOE-Flex Program

- Time to Telework

## People are the Department of Energy’s most important resource, and we will develop, motivate, and support them in accomplishing our missions. Employees are more than just the jobs they do, and the Department is committed to helping them meet their responsibilities on the job, at home, and in their communities. In doing so, the Department will establish flexible work arrangements that will improve the quality of employees’ work life and contribute to a cleaner environment and a safer, more productive workplace.
Secretary Richardson

*Secretary Richardson*

- policy statement

##  The policy and how the program is administered
 The benefits of program participation
 Why training is critical to success
 The characteristics of a successful program

-  The benefits of program participation
-  Why training is critical to success
-  The characteristics of a successful program

- training objectives

## How to manage employees from a distance
 How to address DOE-Flex issues & concerns
 What you need to do to keep everyone in the loop
 Methods to improve office communications
 How to promote and implement this program

-  How to address DOE-Flex issues & concerns
-  What you need to do to keep everyone in the loop
-  Methods to improve office communications
-  How to promote and implement this program

- training objectives

## Achieve program participation goals
FY 2000 5% participation rate
FY 2001 10% participation rate
FY 2002 15% participation rate
FY 2005 20% participation rate (Washington DC area)

- FY 2000 5% participation rate
- FY 2001 10% participation rate
- FY 2002 15% participation rate
- FY 2005 20% participation rate (Washington DC area)

- DOE-Flex Program Objectives

## Improve productivity
Improve employee well-being and quality of life
Maintain work production and services
Improve the Department’s ability to recruit and retain high quality employees
Reduce the employee’s need to commute
Reduce costly building space

- Improve productivity
- Improve employee well-being and quality of life
- Maintain work production and services
- Improve the Department’s ability to recruit and retain high quality employees
- Reduce the employee’s need to commute
- Reduce costly building space

## Increases Productivity 
Enhances Employee Recruitment and Retention
Improves Employee Job Satisfaction  
Provides Greater Workplace Flexibility
Complies with Clean Air, Energy Savings, Rehab Act, and Family Leave Programs
Reduces the Need for Future Office Space

- Enhances Employee Recruitment and Retention
- Improves Employee Job Satisfaction
- Provides Greater Workplace Flexibility
- Complies with Clean Air, Energy Savings, Rehab Act, and Family Leave Programs
- Reduces the Need for Future Office Space

- DOE-Flex employer benefits

## employee benefits

- Improves work/life balance
- Reduces commute and office stress
- Reduces commute time & expense
- Improves personal safety
- Improves individual flexibility – so employees can work where and when they are most productive

## commute time = time wasted

_**One Way**__**	**__**Round Trip**__**	**__**Per Year***__**	**__**Per Year***_
**	****10****	****	****20****	****	****80****	****	****2**
**	****20****	****	****40****	****	****160****	****	****4**
**	**
**	****30****	****	****60****	****	****240****	****	****6**
**	****40****	****	****80****	****	****320****	****	****8**
**	****50****	****	****100****	****	****400****	****	****10**
**	****60****	****	****120****	****	****480****	****	****12**

- *Figures adjusted for vacation, holidays and sick leave normally taken during a year
- Source:  Working from Home

##  Improves neighborhood safety
 Reduces traffic congestion
 Improves air quality
 Reduces waste and conserves energy
 Builds closer bonds with family and community

-  Reduces traffic congestion
-  Improves air quality
-  Reduces waste and conserves energy
-  Builds closer bonds with family and community

- community benefits

## Slide 11

## Slide 12

## Slide 13

## why train managers?

- Communication is the key
- Quick installation - minimize disruption
- Technical support - allow productivity
- Establish a routine -  end of the day ritual, scheduled breaks
- Expect an adjustment period

**       ****Accelerate Upward Curve**
** **Establish ground rules up-front
-  Delivery - completed assignments
-  Maintain office contact and attend meetings
-  Measure and share success stories
-  Coaching/Teaming
-  Expect an adjustment period

**Euphoria**

**Discomfort**

**Time**

**Equilibrium**

**Satisfaction**

**Euphoria**

**Discomfort**

**Time**

**Equilibrium**

**Satisfaction**

**Employees**

**Managers/Co-workers**

_**No Training**_

_**With Training**_

## three-legged stool

**Appropriate Job Tasks**

**Manager**

**Success**

**Voluntary**

**Trust**

- Mobile - Out of Traditional Office
- Quiet Concentrated Work Time
- Face-to-Face Customer Interaction

**Characteristics Include:**
- Perceived Self - Motivated and Responsible
- Independently Productive
- Understands Organizational Relationships
- Appropriate Work Environment

**Characteristics Include**:
- Good Planning Skills
- Manages Output - Not Time
- Provides Clear Objectives
- Monitors Off-Site Work
- Provides Timely &
-     Constructive Feedback

**Employee**

## What job tasks fit teleworking? 
Project-oriented work
Computer programming
Telephone calling
Auditing reports
Planning & scheduling
Data processing & analysis 
Reviewing proposals and written reports
Reading, word processing, and thinking

- Project-oriented work
- Computer programming
- Telephone calling
- Auditing reports
- Planning & scheduling
- Data processing & analysis
- Reviewing proposals and written reports
- Reading, word processing, and thinking

- remote tasks

## What job tasks DO NOT fit teleworking?
Tasks that are difficult to measure
Tasks involving access to materials or information  that cannot be moved
Tasks requiring special in-house equipment
Situations where face-to-face interaction is required

- Tasks that are difficult to measure
- Tasks involving access to materials or information  that cannot be moved
- Tasks requiring special in-house equipment
- Situations where face-to-face interaction is required

- other tasks

## teleworker profile

- Requires minimal supervision
- Has a high level of skill and knowledge
- Works well with family members
- Is productive at alternate workplaces
- Is self-motivated, well-organized, and highly productive
- Possesses strong time-management skills
- Solves problems independently before asking for help
- Communicates well with a manager and co-workers

## break time

## A  DOE-Flex arrangement may be: 
 Medical
 Regular
 Situational

-  Medical
-  Regular
-  Situational

- administration

## The DOE-Flex opportunity: 
Managers promote and utilize the program
Employees must volunteer to participate           
Managers approve work to be done
Managers approve employee's work schedule
Employees are to be accessible
No requirement to cover home-office expenses

- Managers promote and utilize the program
- Employees must volunteer to participate
- Managers approve work to be done
- Managers approve employee's work schedule
- Employees are to be accessible
- No requirement to cover home-office expenses

- administration

## DOE-Flex Process for Managers:
Identify appropriate job tasks/assignments and establishing an inventory of positions
Discuss DOE-Flex option with all applicable candidates 
Document all arrangements
First- & second-level approval/disapproval
Managers & employees may terminate an arrangement when needed
Support and promote the program

- Identify appropriate job tasks/assignments and establishing an inventory of positions
- Discuss DOE-Flex option with all applicable candidates
- Document all arrangements
- First- & second-level approval/disapproval
- Managers & employees may terminate an arrangement when needed
- Support and promote the program

- administration

## manager profile

- Trust his or her employees
- Possess a positive attitude toward DOE-Flex program
- Be a good communicator
- Manage by results not observation
- Delegate tasks and responsibilities
- Coach by establishing time frames and reviewing status
- Encourage goal setting
- Provide appropriate and timely feed back

## manager profile

- What manager traits will cause telework to fail?
- 	Not trusting the teleworker
- 	Ignoring the teleworker
- 	Setting unrealistic deadlines
- 	Neglecting problems
- 	Supervising too closely
- 	Expecting everyone to be a good teleworker
- 	Not taking telework seriously

## How do I know the employee is working?
What if everyone wants to work at home? 
What about legal and liability issues?
What about security in dealing with classified and confidential documents?
How can my budget afford to support telework?
What if the employee is not readily accessible?

- What if everyone wants to work at home?
- What about legal and liability issues?
- What about security in dealing with classified and confidential documents?
- How can my budget afford to support telework?
- What if the employee is not readily accessible?

- issues managing the remote worker

## managing teleworkers

- Manage by results
- Act as coach rather than superior or “boss”
- Empower at the lowest practical level
- Help balance work and personal needs
- Be open to new ideas
- Warning signals
-  Performance drops
-  Insufficient face-to-face interaction
-  Feedback from coworkers and customers

## Slide 27

## Slide 28

## Slide 29

## Manage teleworkers the same way you manage other employees
Empower the employee to personally plan their DOE-Flex activities and participate in the method of evaluation 
Measure performance based on results
Build into your processes regular progress reports

- Empower the employee to personally plan their DOE-Flex activities and participate in the method of evaluation
- Measure performance based on results
- Build into your processes regular progress reports

## Teaming is giving the right people
	clear direction,
	the tools to do the job,
	and the resources needed to accomplish their objectives

***Teaming is ****giving the right people*
*	**clear direction,*
*	**the tools to do the job,*
*	**and the resources needed to accomplish their objectives*

## Build a close team by:
Keeping co-workers informed - make sure they feel a part of the team
Tracking the impact DOE-Flex has on others (co-workers, customers, etc.)
Employing the buddy system
Designing work so that almost no one works alone on a project

- Keeping co-workers informed - make sure they feel a part of the team
- Tracking the impact DOE-Flex has on others (co-workers, customers, etc.)
- Employing the buddy system
- Designing work so that almost no one works alone on a project

- managing the work team

## Over communicate at first

- Provide clear instructions, deadlines, progress reports and regular feedback
- Make sure everyone gets the same information
- Save messages for specific times
- Ask questions to ensure understanding
- Schedule face-to-face meeting times

## Be honest with your teleworker

- Review and re-certify arrangements at least semi-annually
- Give praise and feedback regularly
- Maintain a meeting schedule with your teleworker and act on problems right away

- own & implement

##  Take credit for past efforts

-  Start slow, small, and look for champions
-  At your next “all-staff” meeting
- Ask for input from co-workers
- Demonstrate respect for the telework arrangement

- own & implement

##  The policy and how the program is administered
 The benefits of program participation
 Why training is critical to success
 The characteristics of a successful program
 How to manage employees from a distance
 How to address DOE-Flex issues & concerns
 What you need to do to keep everyone in the loop
 Methods to improve office communications
 How to promote and implement this program

-  The benefits of program participation
-  Why training is critical to success
-  The characteristics of a successful program
-  How to manage employees from a distance
-  How to address DOE-Flex issues & concerns
-  What you need to do to keep everyone in the loop
-  Methods to improve office communications
-  How to promote and implement this program

- summing up....