Marina Sanchez
NAVAIR Public Affairs

“I started teleworking six years ago when the (Naval Air Systems Command) headquarters moved to NAVAIR Patuxent River. Teleworking has provided me with a tremendous reduction in the stress of commuting and the stress of the work place.”

Diane Spittle is one of many NAVAIR employees who has discovered the benefits of teleworking, a new opportunity for government employees that is designed to “encourage cost effective [production] to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee or mission performance,” according to NAVAIR policy.

“The telework program provides employees with the opportunity to perform their assigned duties at alternative work sites during an agreed upon portion of their work week,” according to Kimberly Gryskewicz, NAVAIR human resources specialist.

The telework program is a recently approved discretionary tool that allows an employee to work in a location other than his or her office. Teleworking allows employees the flexibility to work from home; a General Services Agency telework center located in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area; or other approved worksite. At a manager’s discretion, employees can apply to telework, creating “the potential for increased productivity and improvement in morale,” according to Gryskewicz.

Currently 4.2 percent of the Federal workforce is taking advantage of this opportunity. NAVAIR is currently supporting 1,830 employees on this program. Teleworking is an option for anyone in a ‘telework eligible position’ as deemed by a supervisor or manager. Teleworking has environmental benefits, is cost effective and allows employers to retain high-quality performers unable to work otherwise, due to health problems, commuting or other obstacles.

There are two categories for potential teleworkers — ad hoc or regular/recurring. Ad hoc implies occasional, one-time or irregular bases, i.e. less than one day per pay period. A regular/recurring schedule allows eligible employees to work somewhere other than the traditional workplace one or more days per pay period. While teleworking does not necessarily cover all increased costs due to increased activity in the home, it is suggested that the savings exist in the tradeoff between commuting, accommodating employees with disabilities, and improving the Quality of Worklife, just to name a few.

For more information on teleworking, visit www.telework.gov, contact the Patuxent River telework point of contact, Judy Russell at 301-342-6679, or view the NAWCAD instruction at http://corp-nt22.nawcad.navy.mil/search97cgi/s97_cgi.cgi.