The IRS recently created a policy that would increase the amount of telework at the agency while reducing its real estate requirement. The idea would be that two employees would work 2 or 3 days at home every week, and would share a workstation at the office.
The two employees would not both be there at the same time, according to the policy. But the IRS hopes this concept will save them on real estate costs going forward.
How do you IRS employees feel about this? Would you give up your desk half the time for more telework? Feel free to comment on the blog, or you can email us at amedici@federaltimes.com.
Your emails would of course be anonymous.
4 Comments
I am not an IRS employee, but I think it’s a bad idea to let them “work” 2-3 days per week from home. I have no confidence that they’ll actually be working without direct and constant supervision. This sounds like a plan that will actually cost more money in ost productivity than would be gained from smaller real estate footprint.
The IRS Telework policy (which is based on an agreement with the NTEU) now allows employees to Telework up to four days a week. This change went into effect on 10/1/2012. In my division of Information Techonology we can telework up to four days a week. As to sharing a cubicle, its just three fabric covered walls. So, when I do have to start sharing a cube 1 day week I won’t mind. I find that I am more productive when I work from home. I could not be happier.
And we wonder why the civilians think we are overpaid.
This arrangement is actually nothing new to IRS. It has been around for at least twenty years that I know of. That was long before telework became the latest buzzword in government. There are entire offices around the country where this arrangement is standard. There’s been no loss of productivity and the employees seem to like it. Like Charles Smith wrote, a cubicle is just 3 fabric covered walls.