NAO study reports on success of teleworking

The case study organisations selected for the study indicated that their respective core hours were decided upon after careful consideration of the organisations’ operational exigencies, including the needs of respective clients. Successful implementation of flexible work schedules was determined by rigorous policies as well as corresponding procedures, adequate control mechanisms of hours of attendance, and required resources.

An examination of the extent of usage of the flexible work schedules confirmed that it was being widely used in both case study organisations. The average clock-in time of employees shifted to an earlier time following the introduction of the measure.

The analysis confirmed that employees found this measure to be practical and useful. Additionally reduced hours presented no major difficulties in administration and management in two case-studies, mostly due to a well-established policy and straightforward monitoring mechanisms.

The report also presents a number of recommendations on flexible work arrangements for public employees.

Flexible work arrangements allow employees to have a more variable schedule as opposed to complying with the standard eight-hour workday. Such arrangements offer creative approaches for completing tasks, and promotoe balance between work and other personal commitments.

The NAO report conducted three cross-comparative studies focusing on corresponding flexible work arrangements, namely, telework, flexible work schedules and reduced hours.

The report says teleworking implies managing at a distance, which subsequently necessitates a more robust and adaptable system of work measurement. The impact of the introduction of telework within these case study organisations involved a number of considerations, including cost-related issues, the interface of filing systems with the measure, and training provided to teleworkers.