Study Finds Telecommuting Makes Job Satisfaction Take Off

Do you telecommute or telework? It may make your job satisfaction skyrocket.

In a new federal employee study by the Office of Personnel Management, participation in teleworking or other agency-run wellness programs perform heavily more favorably on performance reviews than those who do not. More than 72% of employees talking about the program said that the program not only made their performance better, it also vastly improved their morale and intent to stay with their current agency, no small feat in an atmosphere with cripplingly low federal employee confidence and security in their jobs in light of recent government shutdowns.

Nevertheless, there is still hope. The study indicated that the reaction to the increased work-life balance offered by telecommuting was overwhelmingly positive, with nearly 80% of all employees saying that they were happier with their more flexible schedule. The reaction to other wellness programs was more lukewarm- only 38% said that they were happy with health and wellness programs.

Less than half of all federal employees think that their managers approve of the use of work-life programs, and in many cases, they aren’t wrong. For instance, the Department of Agriculture changed its telework policy, requiring its employees to be physically present four days a week. Considering the results of the study, it would seem that the Department of Agriculture would want to instead increase options for federal employees to work from a distance. However, for the most part it seems that federal employees would be highly interested in, and remain invested in, a program that would allow increased flexibility in their working hours.

Ultimately, the idea of a work-life balance is a distinctly Millennial concept, and with a changing work culture and a significant Millennial disinterest in public sector work, there is a sort of ‘change or die’ impetus to make these changes. Over decades, the public sector has been stagnant, using outdated technology and work methods, and younger generations are taking note. It isn’t just a question of Millennials, either, as even to the relatively technically up-to-date Generation X represents the largest percentage of federal workers today. Without updating the essential processes that this country runs on, there is no chance that it will be sustainable.

Federal employees are quickly moving towards the generational change that implies a movement towards more modern demographics, and a massive leap forward in making that happen would be to implement these key work-life programs. It remains to be seen where this can go, but for now it will be something to keep an eye on in the future.