01.26.01

By Olympia Meola

It sounds too good to be true: an employment system that would help rural areas attract a larger work force and urban areas reduce traffic congestion.

But that's the goal of a telecommuting bill approved by the House Committee on Science and Technology. It would encourage state agencies to allow eligible employees to work from satellite locations - creating a model for the private sector.

"The benefits are just extraordinary," said Delegate Samuel A. Nixon Jr., R-Richmond.

Telecommuting would cut down on traffic congestion in Northern Virginia and help businesses in the Southwest part of the state gather a larger work force. In rural areas, companies could draw from a larger base of employees if the worker did not have to travel a long distance to work.

The number of people telecommuting, also called teleworking, is growing for several reasons: information technology’s wide availability, with the expansion of the Internet and decreasing costs of computers, and the necessity of workers to balance work and family.

A recent report by the U.S. Department of Labor estimates that about 10 percent of the American workforce teleworked in 2000.

If the state sets the groundwork for a telecommuting system by establishing a comprehensive plan including rules, procedures and guidelines, others would be more likely to follow.

Delegate James M. Scott, D-Merrifield, said the plan needed to be "more of a method to promote rather than to compel."

The state would offer implementation support to interested localities and the private sector. To promote telecommuting in the private sector, the state would also offer administrative aid and possibly an incentive.

The Virginia Department of Human Resources Management has a policy regarding teleworking outlining rules and definitions regarding telecommuting in the state.

Aelise Noonan, policy analyst for the department, said she sees a trend toward telecommuting.

"It fosters thought on how you can do work differently," she said, "and look at the workplace differently."

Teleworkers can work either from home or a telework center. The centers provide an office environment at a satellite location from the company’s headquarters where employees can work without driving into the city. This allows employers to hire people who may live many miles away without forcing them to commute.

But many companies have doubts about this new style of work. Fears of falsified employee attendance and little one-on-one communication with the workers have held employers back from implementing telework programs. The idea of evaluating results over attendance may not be welcomed by some companies right away as employers are hesitant to break the traditional frame of mind.

The Senate will hear the bill next.