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 USA
federal government and telework
For many reasons, politicians all
over the world are becoming increasingly supportive of telework and
telecommuting. This listing of American elected officials (current
and past) support and endorse telework. Contact
us if you know of others.
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Dec 2010 Obama
signs Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, into law. Grants
Federal employees eligibility to telework and requires Federal
agencies to establish telework policies and designate a Telework
Managing Officer etc. |
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Oct 2010
President Obama endorses telework for National Work and Family Month |
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Sept 2010
US Senate unanimously approved legislation to expand telecommuting
opportunities governmentwide. The bill, H.R. 1722, requires
federal agencies within 180 days to determine employees’ eligibility
to telework, establish policies under which those personnel are
allowed to work remotely and develop written agreements with
authorized employees. It also requires agencies to integrate telework
into their continuity of operations plans and to train managers,
supervisors and employees on the new policies. See
actual bill here Also,
US Government management, labor leaders promise more telework |
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May 2010
Telework Enhancement Act passed by Senate. Requires agencies to expand
teleworking opportunities |
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Federal employees' work-life balance is still on shaky ground |
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President Obama
wants teleworker expansion:
Obama says federal government could avoid shutting down if more
workers had the option to telecommute The president is also
quoted as saying that: "work is what you do, not where you are |
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United States
Business Telework Act 2009
The United States Business Telework Act directs the Secretary of Labor
to conduct a pilot program in up to five states to raise awareness
about telework among employers and to encourage them to offer telework
options to employees |
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Report: 102,900 US federal teleworkers in 2008 |
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Telework Enhancement Act (S. 1000) -
Act approved Oct 2008 by The Senate Homeland Security and
Governmental Affairs Committee. Will require agency executives, the
Supreme Court's chief justice, the speaker of the House and the Senate
majority leader to appoint telework management officers for their
organizations and create policies that enable employees to telework,
whenever feasible |
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Congress passes Telework Improvement Act:
June 2008 Act allows eligible employees to work 20%
of time from home or from telework centers; requires agencies to
appoint a senior-level telework manager and incorporate teleworking
into their emergency planning; recognizes that not all positions lend
themselves to telework; agencies must collect stats and
performance data. |
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Lawmaker raises concerns about broad telework goals |
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Telework measure clears workforce subcommittee |
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Chairman Davis (along with Reps.
Sarbanes, Waxman, Tom Davis, Wolf, Cummings, and Norton) Introduces
The Telework Improvements Act of 2007 to ensure that all eligible
employees have the opportunity to telework |
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Hillary Clinton would launch federal telecommuting initiative. Would
also invest up to $50 million annually in state and local
telecommuting initiatives |
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March, 2007: Congressional Bill would provide substantial tax
incentives to companies and employees involved in working from home.
For each telework situation, the bill would provide up to $2500 to
teleworkers, up to $2400 to their companies. Details
here |
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Homeland Security, Teleworking Drive New US Federal Telecom Spending
See article here |
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US Congressman Steny Hoyer
promotes benefits of telecommuting on this TV show.
See wmv file here. Also, see press release
here |
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US
Government policy-makers push telework to the center of business
continuity planning |
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Legislators rally for teleworking - Lawmakers have been making noise
on the telework front lately, with legislatures convening to discuss
what government agencies and corporations are doing to help the U.S.
workforce deal with volatile gas prices |
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US government spending bill approved by the House would require
agencies to prove increase (from 2005) from, or give up $5 million
in funding |
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John Kerry
John Kerry supports a $1,000 tax credit for companies which
provide telework and telecommuting opportunities to employees with
disabilities |
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US President George W. Bush 2004 budget
includes tax breaks to encourage more telecommuting - change would
allow employers to give computer equipment to telecommuters, without
causing tax consequences for workers
Click here for details |
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US President George W. Bush Supports more initiatives to increase the opportunities to
telecommute by people who work for the federal government because
telecommuting reduces traffic congestion and enables working parents
to be at home with their children
Click here for details |
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US
Rural Telework Initiative Program The
US
Rural Telework Initiative program will create a National Rural
Telework Institute to conduct research and development, analyze best
practices, and perform outreach to rural communities and employers |
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Access to Telework Fund Program
awards grants to allow individuals with disabilities access to
computers and other needed equipment not provided by an employer to
enable them to telework from home or other remote sites.
See details here |
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eCommute Program U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Norman Y. Mineta announces eCommute Program. Says:
"Participating companies will be provided with new software
that will enable them to calculate the reduction in vehicle miles
traveled that result from their individual employee telework
programs. The companies may eventually be eligible to receive air
quality emission credits as a financial incentive for establishing a
telecommute program. Employers would also reap the benefits of
increased morale, productivity and retention of employees." |
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Rep.
Frank R. Wolf (Virginia) / Senator Rick Santorum (R-PA) |
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Tax Abatement for the Telecommuter (2001) New telecommuting bill
has Republicans, environmentalists -- normally foes -- teaming up |
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Telework Tax Incentive ACT (2001) Bill would establish $500 tax
credit toward the purchase and installation of electronic and computer
equipment that enables an employee to engage in telework 75 days or
more per year. |
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National
Telecommuting and Air Quality Act (1999) signed into law. The
act will give pollution credits to companies in 5 US cities if they
let their employees work from home, thereby helping to smog-reduction
goals set by federal clean air laws. The companies would be free to
buy and sell the credits in deals with other businesses and nonprofit
groups. The cities are Washington DC, Los Angeles, Philadelphia,
Houston and Chicago |
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Senator Rick Santorum ('98), announced
telecommuting legislation to assist the Philadelphia region meet
its smog-reduction goals |
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Congressman
Mark Udall (DC) Introduces Small
Business Telecommuting Act, to address traffic congestion and
urban sprawl. It is also aimed at raising awareness about
telecommuting among small business employers and to encourage
employers to offer telecommuting options to their employees |
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Congressman
Mark Udall (Colorado): March 2001 announces Small
Business Telecommuting Act in the House of Representatives. To
address traffic congestion and urban sprawl by raising awareness about
telecommuting among small business employers and encouraging employers
to offer telecommuting options to their employees |
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Congressional
Act to examine incentives for businesses to implement
telework programs by creating an emissions credit trading and
exchange system. In response, the US National Environmental
Policy launches the Emissions Trading Pilot Project to
address air quality concerns through telework |
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Former US President Bill
Clinton / VP Al Gore |
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In a May '99 address, former US President Bill Clinton said: "More of America's employers can use technology to bring workers and children closer
together by allowing more employees to telecommute at work; that is, work at home with a modem where it's
feasible." |
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Former US
President Bill Clinton directed the Federal Government to increase the
number of telecommuters where possible, to achieve a goal of 60,000
telecommuters by the end of 1998. In a May 24/99 address he said: "More of
America's employers can use technology to bring workers and children
closer together by allowing more employees to telecommute at work
... where feasible." |
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Vice
President Al Gore (Aug '99) announces $10 million in
grants to expand opportunities for adult learners. Part of
that is for the National Telecommuting Institute to develop an
at-home training program to prepare people with severe disabilities
to perform customer service jobs in "e-commerce" from
their homes using the Internet. |
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Congressman
David Price (California '97): Statement in US House of
Representatives: "... telecommuting is quickly becoming a more
popular and more viable work option for working families. In
addition, studies have shown that telecommuting employees record
fewer sick days and demonstrate increased work satisfaction, two
factors that contribute to higher worker productivity." |
