Does Telework Harm Office Relationships?

The 2010 Telework Enhancement Act requirements mean more federal employees are performing at least some of their jobs via telework. But what does less interaction with co-workers mean for teleworkers and what impact does it have on their work performance?

A new survey by Federal News Radio indicates that teleworkers are more likely than non-teleworkers to believe that telework does not hurt office dynamics. The survey found that only 24 percent of teleworkers either somewhat or strongly agree that telework harms relationships between coworkers, compared to 46 percent of non-teleworkers who believe it harms relationships.

Opinions on co-worker relationships also differed among teleworking and non-teleworking employees, the survey found. For example, 45 percent of non-teleworkers said they were less close with teleworking colleagues, while only 20.3 percent of teleworkers said so. Still, the majority of both groups said their relationships with colleagues who telework and those who don't telework are the same.

The good news is that most teleworkers believe their agencies have the right technology in place for working remotely. For example, 92 percent of teleworkers agree that agencies provide the appropriate technology to help maintain a good group dynamic while telework is in use. Most teleworkers (61 percent) also agree that it is not hard to get in contact with teleworking colleagues as compared to coworkers in the office, the survey found.

The survey included 837 people, of which 92 percent were federal employees, 6 percent were government contractors and 2 percent did not fit into either category. Fifty percent of respondents said they don't telework at all, while 25 percent said they telework one day per week, 14 percent two days per week and 11 percent three or more days per week.