Welcome to the eWorkPlace Blog!

The rise in interest comes along as the telework debate heats up around the country and in D.C. A legislative representative from the National Treasury Employees Union, Kurt Vondran, recently stated that “no matter how many executive orders the White House issues, how many laws Congress passes, or how many well-meaning pronouncements from Cabinet officials, nothing will matter unless agency managers buy-in to the idea that telework is an operational advantage”.

Vondran has a point, of course. New reports consistently show the benefits of telework, with companies saving an average of $10,000 per employee a year for a total average of $400 billion a year. These savings take into consideration increased productivity, reduced facility costs, lowered absenteeism, and reduced turnover.

Our own preliminary eWorkPlace data has shown that participating employers have already expressed positive results in all the aforementioned areas. For example, Fairview Health Services noted a 50% decrease in overtime hours as a result of their telework program, saving the company a great deal of money.

50% is certainly nothing to sneeze at.

Now, what other companies have benefited from eWorkPlace’s assistance?

Stay tuned.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

The most innovative companies tend to be those that create new cultural norms that touch us everyday. Think the light bulb. The telephone. The automobile. The Internet. ..social networking? … teleworking?

Some of these are inventions of physical objects that have changed the way we work and some are abstract processes. But what connects all of these examples is how important they are and how we are not going backwards. We may move forward with more efficient light sources, smaller phones, electric cars, faster connections, but no way are we reverting to days of candles, buggies, or telegrams.

This is no different when it comes to telework. And it seems crystal clear by now that telework is becoming less of a luxury option and more of a necessary norm. Some predict that 43% of U.S. workers will telework at least occasionally by 2016.

The benefits of telework are being recognized rapidly as we seek financial solutions during the recession and as high achieving employees seek out companies that offer telework. A recent study found that telework is desirable in all fields, with a focus on federal workers seeking more telework opportunities.

Companies must take note. At this point, it may not be about staying ahead of the curve, but also about keeping up with the curve, about not falling behind the curve. Telework is here to stay and grow.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

As many of you may already know, the purpose of eWorkPlace is not only to help Minnesota businesses and organizations with implementing telework, but also with greater goals in mind, whether they be work/life balance for employees, improving bottom lines for employers, or reducing congestion for all of us. And much more, of course. But the focus on eWorkPlace’s aim with congestion reduction was featured recently in a KARE11 article and interview.

With over 30 employers already signed up, accounting for approximately 2,400 employees in the Twin Cities metro area, our early evaluation efforts have found that participating employees are already taking 30% fewer trips during rush hour. I myself have noticed that traffic has been better recently during traditionally heavy congestion hours, despite the heavy amount of road construction.

Of course, I do not claim that there are empirical direct links to our efforts and my own personal observations, but, informally, I do wonder if anyone has noticed a better and fresher commute? Do you think our efforts have helped reduce congestion?

Send me your thoughts.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

With each environmental concern, it is sometimes difficult for me not to consider telework as a solution. By no means am I suggesting that telework can be a one size fits all solution for all circumstances nor am I proclaiming telework as the savior to all we know and love.

But… I can’t help but advocate for the impact telework may have if only we used it as effectively as we could and should. By now, I am sure the majority of you have heard about the devastation the BP oil spill has caused in the Gulf of Mexico.

Not only has the spill harmed our environment, but the spill is harming our businesses, our industries, our economies, and ultimately our communities. There is ever growing heat on BP to improve the slow response.

Such a spill calls on us to ask greater questions about our nation’s reliance on oil, much of it to fuel our cars that we drive alone to work. Would we be at less of a risk for these kinds of issues if our reliance was lower? Demand was less? And could we lower both reliance and demand if we just teleworked more?

Interestingly, BP also recently reported a global decline in both oil consumption and production. Readers, what do you make of all this? Don’t let me speculate alone, now.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

June 8, 2010 turned out to be quite the auspicious day for eWorkPlace. The 2010 "Tele-Vision Awards", put on by Telework Exchange, a public-private partnership that focuses on eliminating Telework gridlock, aimed to recognize Telework program excellence.

Held in Washington D.C., eWorkPlace was declared the winner for "State and Local Government Telework Program"! We were pleased to accept and you may see the full list of winners in all categories here.

There is no denying that great strides have been made this year for telework, not only by eWorkPlace, not only within the state of Minnesota, but around the country as well. I really do not get tired of asserting that.

Locally, our efforts to educate the community about telework have not gone unnoticed. Nationally, and passed with unanimous consent on May 24, the Senate’s Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, sponsored by Senator Daniel Akaka of Hawaii, showed great support for the telework movement. Last winter’s "Snowmageddon", as it was dubbed, proved to many that telework can and should be the solution.

Employers should also take note that teleworkers can work longer hours and be more productive before feeling the stress and strain their office counterparts may feel. A recent study showed that the average teleworker could work 19 more hours.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

Things keep looking brighter and brighter for telework and for the people, the organizations, and the countries that utilize it best.

If your employees are not teleworking yet, ask yourself: Why not?

From what I can tell, anything really worth having or doing in life comes in fits and starts. The things worth fighting for and the things you have to struggle to achieve are often the things that mean the most. How does the adage go again? Good things don’t come easily?

It seems telework is no different. The telework measure was rejected by the U.S. House of Representatives last week. Introduced by Representative John Sarbanes of Maryland, the measure would have required uniform rules for federal employees who work at sites other than their regular government offices.

The nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office estimated a cost of $30 million for the government over the next five years. The figure, however does not take into account financial savings possible through telework, which is more difficult to estimate with accuracy.

Despite this setback, it is important to note that a similar telework bill was approved by the House in 2008. Unfortunately it was not passed in the Senate. But it is likely that the measure will be reintroduced soon with hope of passage.

It is interesting to me that here in Minnesota we seem to see very strong bipartisan support of the telework bill, yet the issue is more polarized in Washington DC. I have hypotheses as to why that may be, but what do you think the reason may be? Can a telework bill pass soon?

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

Recently, we have seen great strides in telework locally and federally. It’s really wonderful to see private and public sectors working together in a non-partisan manner for telework as a means to improve society as a whole. With the success of our Telework Twin Cities program, an ever-growing number of companies utilizing eWorkPlace services, and local public officials verbalizing their support for our work, we have been pleased as punch here at headquarters (and since we are a teleworking program, headquarters is pretty much everywhere!).

Major federal advances were also made for telework on April 14 when a House committee approved a government telework bill that "would require federal agencies to adopt policies allowing employees to work away from the office, with exceptions for those whose jobs cannot be performed elsewhere. Each agency would have to designate a telework managing officer to oversee the policies."

Passed by The Oversight and Government Reform Committee with bipartisan support and little debate, the voice vote added to the telework momentum in recent months. It is likely that a House vote will be scheduled by Memorial Day and we are looking forward to it.

Times they are a'changin'. Expect even greater strides for telework in the coming months!

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

Ladies and gentlemen, I am pleased to inform you about some good news. Wait. GREAT news!

Telework Twin Cities has been getting some great press lately. Even public officials are taking note.

Minneapolis mayor RT Rybak (D), Saint Paul mayor Chris Coleman (D), Bloomington mayor Gene Winstead (R), and Minnesota Governor Tim Pawlenty (R) have all unanimously proclaimed April 2010 “Explore and Experience Telework Month”.

It is really wonderful to see all the support across the aisle for telework. You can see Governor Pawlenty’s proclamation posted on our website as a PDF file here.

For those of you without Adobe, the proclamation text follows:

“State of Minnesota Proclamation

WHEREAS: Telework is the practice of working from home via technology such as internet and mobile devices; and

WHEREAS: There are many benefits of telework in Minnesota, from reducing traffic congestion to conserving energy; and

WHEREAS: Telework helps Minnesota families thrive and businesses prosper due to increased flexibility gained through the integration of work, home, and community; and

WHEREAS: Telework is an initiative of eWorkPlace, a state-sponsored program for Twin Cities Metro Area employers; and

WHEREAS: As an innovative model, eWorkPlace seeks to change and enhance the way Minnesota companies conduct business and increase awareness of the value of telework.

NOW, THEREFORE, I, TIM PAWLENTY, Governor of Minnesota, do hereby proclaim the month of April 2010, as:

EXPLORE AND EXPERIENCE TELEWORK MONTH in the State of Minnesota.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand and caused the Great Seal of the State of Minnesota to be affixed at the State Capitol this 22^nd day of March in the year of our Lord two thousand and ten, and of the State the one hundred fifty-first.” 

It’s going to be a great April, folks! Happy teleworking!

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

Calling all employers and employees! We are happy to announce that Telework Twin Cities will be coming soon to a workplace near you…

What’s this, you say?

eWorkPlace is encouraging Twin Cities metro area commuters to register and make the pledge to telework for one or more days per week from April 11-24 just in time to celebrate Earth Day.

Already on board are Minneapolis mayor R.T. Rybak, Saint Paul mayor Chris Coleman, and Bloomington mayor Gene Winstead! The three mayors have already proclaimed April 2010 “Explore and Experience Telework” month!

In addition, we are pleased to provide access to free telework training as well as sample proposals to address with managers and learn about the “business case” for telework.

Telework Twin Cities benefits for the world:

• Help the environment
• Promote workplace efficiency
• Reduce strain on transportation infrastructure

Telework Twin Cities benefits for you:

• Save time!
• Save $$$!
• Register and be eligible to win gift cards, netbooks, and an Apple iPad!

Now is your chance to get on board and make a difference!

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

Want to be a Fortune 500 Company? Want to be considered one of the best companies to work for?

You might want to think about adding telework to your strategy. Of the 100 Best Companies of 2010, 84 companies provide telecommuting to their employees. The top ten companies with telecommuting have anywhere from, 26% employees at Shared Technologies to a whopping 93% employees at Deloitte telecommuting. See the list here.

Then point your mouse this away and request eWorkPlace program information.

It’s never too late.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

Over one month into 2010 already. Time always slips by faster than I expect. In the meantime, plenty of predictions have rolled in about the future of telework in the coming decade. These predictions are not pulled out of thin air. Instead, many seem to predict that we will build off trends that have already been occurring over the last few years. These ideas are compatible and will spur one another forward. What am I talking about?

In the next year and beyond, experts agree that we will be going green and going mobile. We see it all around us in the small and the big ways. Need an example of a small and a big way all in one? Well.

A personal ‘green example’: I was at Target the other day. I declined a bag and was given a small discount on my purchase as a result. Perhaps I am behind on the times and/or living under a rock, but this was news to me. I knew of other retailers that offered similar incentives, but I simply didn’t expect it from the Minnesota-based giant.

These types of practices are becoming more and more common as businesses of all shapes and sizes become more and more green. A few cents off for not using a bag may not seem like a big deal, but I see it as an indicator that our culture is changing. The small ways are reflective of the big changes. These kinds of changes, while indirect, pave the way for telework.

And, while the idea of mobility is desired for more than just its green compatibility, there is no denying these concepts often go hand in hand. Our wireless capabilities are growing and our hesitancies are diminishing.

This is good news for telework, good news for business, and good news for us all. Not convinced?

How about a direct example in the government: Even the White House encourages its employees to telework – not just during emergencies but routinely as a practice that supports the Obama administration’s policy to cut down on greenhouse gas emissions. If you want people to take you seriously, you’ve got to set a good example, right?

Paternalism aside, everywhere in the country we see telework catching on.

In fact, another large private employer gets it too: Chattanooga, Tennessee, anyone? Their biggest employer, BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee, wants to double its telecommuting staff from 400 to 800 in the next year because the program is working so well in terms of cost savings as well as productivity. And on top of all that? Mobile and green!

Call me an optimist, but this decade is looking mighty, mighty good for all these reasons and more.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

As the old adage goes, "A picture is worth a thousand words."

Apparently, and excuse me for not knowing this, you can create groups on the photo-posting website Flickr based on the topic. I found the pool for the topic “telework” today. There are over 500+ photos individuals have uploaded to showcase bits and pieces of their lives, as related to telework.

Some are funny, some are touching, but all remind me of why telework is important to all of us as people. Balancing different parts of our lives is easier, using the technology that we have is smarter and more efficient, working this way can make us more productive and happier. Why not tap into that potential? 

You can see the photos here. Here’s a taste of some of my favorites:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/geirarne/66766269/in/pool-telework Today’s Office "Today I'm telecommuting from my old bedroom at my parent’s house."

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ddfic/456799827/in/pool-telework Day 2: Now THIS is what I call telecommuting… "Since construction of our new bathroom is right next to my home office, I was forced to relocate temporarily. Soft purple couch, warm roaring fire, laptop, and pussycat. Does it get any better than this?"

http://www.flickr.com/photos/smoocherie/274017500/in/pool-telework So this is what a technomad is… "Enjoying an afternoon working while hanging out with radven on Treasure Island, CA. Like my office view today? Photo taken by radven using the camera on my smartphone. Laptop being powered by radven’s solar power system on his tab rv. " Technomad heaven, I hear.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/tadnkat/3923364820/in/pool-telework This is how we roll. 

http://www.flickr.com/photos/turniptopia/1539329707/in/pool-telework pericraft lately pt. 2

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

Happy holidays, everyone!

"The season is upon us" is really just a pretty way of saying we are going to get DUMPED on with snow. Good for making snowmen and sitting by fireplaces, but not so much for clear roads or traffic flow.

Federal offices in Washington D.C. are all but sure to close down. Some of these workers will actually be teleworking during this time, so productivity may not be lost after all! News isn’t so clear on what businesses in Washington D.C. will be doing though.

I know that here in good old Minnesota we stubbornly send our employees out to treacherous roads, and almost proudly so, regardless of the weather. What’s two feet of snow in a night, eh?

By no means am I picking on our great work ethic or our fantastic snow removal services, but it doesn’t particularly make sense to send out whole workforces during blizzards or to drive on ice rinks when we have options like telework. Though ice rink driving could potentially be a pretty cool addition to the Winter Olympics… but I digress.

Weather is always that unpredictable factor on your bottom line. Why not be prepared?

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

So, I realized that although we showed this great little video at a conference we held over the summer (if you missed the conference, no worries, click here for the presentation materials!), we neglected to put the video up on the blog.

Enjoy:

Love it. Though it does hit on a serious issue with telework – how do you trust that your employees are actually doing their job while they telework? In case you missed it in our FAQ, you can start reading about managing teleworkers here.

If you have any personal experience/advice about this, we’d love to hear it!

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota

We have about one month, give or take, until the end of 2009. Like many people, when something is near its end, I often start thinking about new beginnings. I circle back and forth and around. I think about what became, what could have been, and what should be.

Take congestion, for example.

According to the Metropolitan Freeway System 2008 Congestion Report, Twin Cities freeways actually saw a substantial drop in congestion, from 20.9% in 2007 to 17.3%. I know that is difficult to swallow when you’re sitting in traffic after a long day’s work, but from the numbers alone it seems like we have been making some headway.

I suppose my worry is that people see this as good news and will become complacent in following years. So it is important to note that according to many experts, the reduction we saw in congestion was actually due to the economy.

Fewer jobs and less money = less traffic.

Like everybody, I would prefer the economy to grow and reduce congestion all at once.  

Will the 2009 Congestion Report show another drop? Will congestion because of the poor economy or because of proactive efforts like eWorkPlace? 

All I know is that we must actively continue working on lowering congestion in 2010. The eWorkPlace program cannot make congestion disappear, but it certainly helps to reduce the problem and raise the benefits. 

P.S. If you’re already taking advantage of our eWorkPlace program, you may find our instructional YouTube channel helpful. There you can learn about how to use the Commute Tool, Tracker, and Survey to help us measure the effects of our efforts.

P.P.S. Someone make me this shirt.

Adeel Lari, M.B.A., P.E.
Director of Innovative Financing, Research Fellow, and Teleworker
Hubert H. Humphrey Institute of Public Affairs
University of Minnesota