Telework Week & Telework Exchange Changes

It’s nearly time for the 3rd annual Telework Week, the global effort to encourage agencies, organizations, and individuals to pledge to telework anytime during the selected week. This year – Telework Week is from March 4-8, 2013.

Visit www.MobileWorkExchange/TeleworkWeek to pledge to telework during the week or to calculate the potential cost savings and environmental impact for doing so.

Telework Exchange touted more than 71,000 individuals and organizations that pledged to telework during Telework Week last year – totally more than $5.6 million in commuting costs savings and 3,453 ton reduction of greenhouse gas emissions.

I’ve been a fan of Telework Exchange for a long time – it’s one of the organizations listed here on the sidebar (and has been for a long time). But I had to change that today because Telework Exchange is re-branding to reflect the ever-changing mobile work force.

Telework Exchange is now Mobile Work Exchange.

Telework Exchange Lauds Feds for Making Telework Happen; Grows Mission to Focus on Mobile IT

Mobile Work Exchange, the New Telework Exchange, Makes the Move to Mobility

ALEXANDRIA, Va., January 28, 2013 – Mobile Work Exchange, a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the value of mobility and telework, today announced a refresh to its name and expanded mission. Previously coined as Telework Exchange, the organization is now tasked with also leading mobile IT discussions in the Federal government. Mobile Work Exchange will continue its longstanding initiatives such as Telework Week, and expand programs for its Town Hall Meetings and educational courses. Details on the expansion as well as new mobile IT resources are available at www.mobileworkexchange.com.

The organizational change comes following the growth in government telework adoption as well as a new focus on encouraging mobility in the Federal workforce. The 2012 Office of Personnel Management Status of Telework Report stated that almost a quarter of the Federal workforce reported teleworking in some form, with 31 percent of the entire workforce eligible to telework.

“Today’s workforce is becoming more agile than ever, and telework is one of the components driving the mobile-enabled 21st century workforce,” said Charles McClam, deputy chief information officer, U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA). “At USDA, we’ve made it possible for our employees to effectively perform their duties from anywhere using web-enabled technologies and mobile applications. These technologies and applications, coupled with effective telework policies and guidance, have all played a vital role in allowing USDA to increase employee satisfaction and productivity as well as securely and efficiently work with our customers outside the traditional brick and mortar office environment. We look forward to our continued partnership with Mobile Work Exchange to discuss such important topics for today’s Federal workforce.”

“Throughout its existence, Telework Exchange (now Mobile Work Exchange) has been at the forefront of the Federal telework conversation,” said Dr. Wendell Joice, notably known as the father of Federal telework. “As the conversation changes, I am pleased to see their continued focus on telework as well as their new approach to mobile IT. We are at a critical point – let’s make telework and mobility happen in the Federal government.”

Mobile Work Exchange will continue to provide best practices in telework, performance management, effective communication, recruitment and retention, work-life balance, and other workforce-related topics. In addition, the group will focus on key issue in mobile IT, such as cyber security/privacy, bring your own device, mobile device management, virtualization, and cloud. The organization added a new resource center on mobile IT, and refreshed its monthly publication, now called The Mobile Worker.

“We’ve spent the last eight years supporting the awareness and adoption of telework,” said Cindy Auten, general manager of Mobile Work Exchange. “Now that the Federal government is moving telework in the fast lane, the conversation is changing. And so are we. We are pleased to introduce our new name – Mobile Work Exchange. As telework drives the mobile IT discussion forward, we will expand our role to cover both telework and mobile IT topics.”

Join the discussion by attending the Spring 2013 Town Hall Meeting on April 30 at the Walter E. Washington Convention Center in Washington, D.C. Featuring a new workshop-style format, attendees will have the chance to participate in targeted sessions focusing on telework, workforce management, IT, and policy. Participants will hear from more than 50 speakers as government and industry leaders discuss best practices in telework and mobility. For more information and to register, please visit www.mobileworkexchange.com/townhallmeeting.

About Mobile Work Exchange
Mobile Work Exchange, the new Telework Exchange, is a public-private partnership focused on demonstrating the value of mobility and telework, and serving the emerging educational and communication requirements of the Federal mobile/telework community. The organization facilitates communication to more than 26,000 Federal IT directors/managers, CIOs, CHCOs, telework managing officers, and key stakeholders – all focused on building a sustainable and effective mobile workforce. For more information on Mobile Work Exchange, follow us on Twitter, @MobileWorkX.