Telework Improvements Act of 2010

Floor Speech

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Mr. VAN HOLLEN. Mr. Speaker, as a representative of a district with a large number of federal employees, I rise in strong support of H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvements Act. I want to thank Chairmen Towns and Lynch and Representative Sarbanes for their leadership in crafting this important bi-partisan bill.

If passed, this measure will put the federal government on equal footing with many private sector employers and state governments which allow their employees to perform many of their duties and responsibilities from home or at another work site.

The Telework Improvements Act requires each executive agency to establish a policy that enables federal employees to telework in a way that does not diminish employee performance or agency operations, and that ensures that no distinction is made between teleworkers and non-teleworkers for performance appraisal and training purposes.

Having the option to telework will enhance the quality of life for many federal employees and save money for the taxpayers. For example, there is an effort underway to attract more young people to federal government service to offset the growing number of older employees who are retiring. Offering prospective employees the option to telework increases the possibility that those employees with families will join the federal workforce.

Telework also is smart fiscally. According to the Office of Personnel Management, during the blizzard that hit Washington, DC last winter, the government lost $71 million worth of productivity for each day it remained closed. This number might have been far larger had some federal workers not had the opportunity to work from home.

The Telework Improvements Act makes environmental, administrative and fiscal common sense. Increasing telework opportunities for employees of the country's largest employer means fewer cars on the roads as workers commute less; it means lower carbon emissions; it means better quality of life for workers and their families; and, it means reduced costs for taxpayers and higher government efficiency because of lower absenteeism.

I encourage my colleagues to join me in supporting the bill and I urge its immediate passage.

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