2. Establish a telework advisory committee
Establish a team representing a cross-section of departments within the organization to develop the
telework program. Members might include management and representatives from human resources,
information technology, policy and planning, and training. The committee’s main role is developing the
telework program and reviewing its progress.
You should appoint a coordinator to leads this
committee and to oversee all activities of the team as
well as to serve as the point person for all facets of your
organization’s telework program. The coordinator
should be a champion of telework and should have the
support of management s well as experience with
starting new programs.
Having the right person start a telework program and
serve as a liaison between teleworkers and
management is critical to the program’s success.
Define the program’s scope
In order to create the best telework program for the organization, the committee should define the
scope of the program and set clear, measurable goals to help guide them through the process. First, the
committee should consider what the organization wants to gain from telework.
Specific goals could include:
• Reduce overhead costs and office space needs
• Improve employee morale and job performance
• Tap into nontraditional workforces
• Ensure business continuity in case of emergency or natural disaster
Consider a pilot project
Next, the committee should decide consider starting the telework program as a pilot project but should
also consider how far the program will eventually reach. Will it be organization-wide or will it be geared
toward specific departments?
A pilot program helps management learn about telework before making a full commitment. It also
allows for the organization to learn how effective the program is at accomplishing the goals set forth at
the start and how it might be adjusted to better meet the company’s goals. Starting small and expanding
often ensures a greater degree of success.
3. Finally, the committee will set a timeline with benchmarks for where the program should be after two
months, four months and six months. A basic outline will help the program stay on track and continue to
move forward. Timelines will vary depending on the size of the organization and the scope of the
project.
Identify appropriate telework tasks and jobs
To select jobs suitable for telework, the
coordinator considers each position and
determines whether there is any potential to
create a telework opportunity and whether the
telework will be full-time, part-time, or episodic
depending on the individual. A particular position
may not appear to be compatible with a
telework arrangement, but if the position is
broken down into individual tasks, it may be
discovered that certain duties could be
accomplished in a telework setting.
Consider a Scalable Solution
Work suitability depends on job content, rather than job title, type of appointment, or work schedule,
and a scalable solution enables your organization to add or subtract seats as needed for the work
schedule or the job being done at any given time. This is where a SaaS/Cloud solution can be especially
cost-effective. Telework frequency may be as little as one day a week or even once a month and a
scalable solution enables you to adjust the frequency as needed and be billed for just what you’re using
when you use it.
Cloud-based Telework is feasible for:
• Work that requires thinking and writing, such as data analysis,
research, reviewing grants or cases, and writing regulations, decisions
or reports.
• Telephone-intensive tasks, such as setting up a conference,
obtaining information and contacting customers.
• Computer-oriented tasks, such as programming, data entry, graphic
design, auditing, and word processing.
Assess Equipment Needs and Provide for Security of Sensitive Information
While the telework in the cloud eliminates an organization’s need for onsite servers and software and IT
support personnel it does require that each telework have access to a computer and the internet from
4. their home or other telework site. Normally, this is not an issue, as most individuals do have computer
access and internet connectivity readily available.
Nonetheless, the committee should include a section in their telework policy regarding how teleworkers
will be equipped. Your organization may choose to purchase all or some of the necessary equipment, or
the employee could be responsible for acquiring equipment. Factors to consider include technology
needs based on the work of the employee, agency security requirements, and budget constraints.
Within those constraints, the challenge for the committee is finding the right balance of budget,
security, and effectiveness.
To assess their home offices, employees should provide a list of their home office equipment and
internet connectivity status. Some things they may
need in their home office include:
Telephones
Cell phones
Voice mail
Desktop computers
Laptop computers
Software
Broadband Internet Access
Scanner/Printer
PDAs (personal digital assistants)
Develop a Telework Proposal for Management
By this point, the committee has designed the basic framework for the organization’s telework program.
They’ve defined the scope and goals of the project, determined what tasks would be ideal for telework,
established the criteria for participating in the program, and assessed the equipment needs. It’s now
time to provide management with a document that outlines plans and goals for the program.
When drafting the proposal, include the following components:
• Definition of telework
• How telework will benefit the organization
• Program goals and scope
• Tasks appropriate for telework
• Teleworker selection process
• How employees will be supervised
• How equipment issues will be resolved
• How liability issues will be resolved
• Program evaluation plan
• Timeline and budget
5. Write a Telework Policy
Once management approves the proposal, the committee can write a policy
document that will serve as a guide to inform potential teleworkers and
supervisors about how the telework program will work. This policy is the
cornerstone of your telework program and will be referred to for years to
come as more and more employees apply to telework. This policy should be
revised as needed. After the designated pilot project period is complete and
the committee has had a chance to evaluate the effectiveness of the
program, the policy may need to be adjusted to better fit the company.
IDEAL-Cloud – an Effective Telework Solution
IDEAL-Cloud powered by kloudtrack® features a robust data management system that enables secure
collaboration for telework. This application module securely and permanently stores your corporate
data assets and information in compliance with all electronic record retention requirements.
Authorized users can access data and documents, search, retrieve, print and download their files,
collaborate with other users, create work flows and audit trails.
This technology improves efficiency and minimizes mistakes. For more information on IDEAL-Cloud
powered by kloudtrack®
contact sales@ideal.com.
