11 votes
Make it possible for federal employees to download free home use versions of standardised software programs like MS Office, Visio, Anti virus software, MS Project, Adobe Acrobat, etc. More people should be teleworking, and this would enable these people to use the same software on their home computers as they use at work. This would encourage more teleworking. We are already paying for the licenses...
14 votes
Use the Air Force's Lightweight Portable Security method, http://www.spi.dod.mil/lipose.htm, rather than supply each teleworker a computer to use from home. Every Government agency will see a great cost reduction for telework when they use this method.
71 votes
Although there are several proposals and regulations concerning federal government telework, change is slow and disparate among agencies. Conduct a study on what positions would work well in a telework capacity and code these positions. Then implement a plan to get all these coded positions into a telework work relationship over a four year period until all properly coded positions are being conducted in a telework ...more »
Although there are several proposals and regulations concerning federal government telework, change is slow and disparate among agencies. Conduct a study on what positions would work well in a telework capacity and code these positions. Then implement a plan to get all these coded positions into a telework work relationship over a four year period until all properly coded positions are being conducted in a telework capacity. These positions would be coded on a graduated scale from total to partial telework. Benefits include greater employee morale, less traffic, less space requirements, etc.
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63 votes
With the supply, cost and demand of gas, allow more Federal employees to telework from home. This could save on gas, air conditioning and over overhead costs, etc.
101 votes
Allow employees to telework at least 2 times a week. Benefits include energy conservation and environmental preservation. This will also minimize traffic congestion and save the government a lot of money.
14 votes
Adopting the S1000D international standard for technical publications would allow the entire government to be able to share information more easily. The information, once put into a common source database, would be able to be used by whomever needed it. And once it is placed there, the need for reentering the data is not needed, threrby decreasing the costs of rewriting and reediting the work. Most major companies ...more »
Adopting the S1000D international standard for technical publications would allow the entire government to be able to share information more easily. The information, once put into a common source database, would be able to be used by whomever needed it. And once it is placed there, the need for reentering the data is not needed, threrby decreasing the costs of rewriting and reediting the work. Most major companies have begun to adopt the standard.
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38 votes
http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income ...more »
http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm -section 8 and low income housing encourages dependency and complacent behavior. Why work when you can get a house for practically free and keep collecting entitlements. ILLLEGAL squatting and unauthrized people live with a legal tenet often and this is a criminal offense since changes in family size and income are required to be reported. the section 8 system and low income housing system is a complete failure which has drained the US economy of trillions of dollars and maintained tenets in social and financial bondage. there is no incentive to leave section 8 or low income housing. why work or attend college when you can get housing for free or low cost. This encouranges drug abuse and out of wedlock births and tenet abuse by housing squatters and unauthorized people living in the units. section 8 and low income housing also reduce local taxpayers home values and create blighted neighborhoods with loud music and cars with dark windows and dirty messy yards often with dirt as a yard.. SECTION 8 and LOW INCOME HOUSING TENETS NEED TIME LIMITS of 1 to 3 years then they must be evicted from the units since they are living on free enititlements and have no incentive to Raise themselves out of the free benefits. WAKE UP AMERICA! WE ARE TRILLIONS IN DEBT and giving away FREE BENEFITS . remember that all secion 8 and low income housing authoritys are TAX FREE and you pay the costs of educating the people and their rents are susidized and food and insurance are subsidized and paid for. its like the midlle and upper class is paying triple to live, we all have to pay for everyone else.. its not fair..http://www.hud.gov/complaints/fraud_waste.cfm
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15 votes
I like most ideas on this website. I think that most ideas have come from somebody who is trying to do a great job at what they do. It has become so difficult to navigate through that, I have decided to take 15 minutes out of my day to dedicate to this at home on my own time. I believe that the top 25 contributors and top 25 idea submitters should be invited to bring their heads together and discuss what is really ...more »
I like most ideas on this website. I think that most ideas have come from somebody who is trying to do a great job at what they do.
It has become so difficult to navigate through that, I have decided to take 15 minutes out of my day to dedicate to this at home on my own time.
I believe that the top 25 contributors and top 25 idea submitters should be invited to bring their heads together and discuss what is really important to their agency and to the federal government as a whole.
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13 votes
Promote telework across all Federal Agencies by offering employees a small % decrease in salary in return for the privilege of working fulltime from home. Develop productivity metrics for the purpose of incentivizing and rewarding high performance employees who work from home. As of Dec 2010, there are 2,112,277 federal employees with an average salary of $74,817. If you offered a 2% decrease in salary for the privilage ...more »
Promote telework across all Federal Agencies by offering employees a small % decrease in salary in return for the privilege of working fulltime from home. Develop productivity metrics for the purpose of incentivizing and rewarding high performance employees who work from home. As of Dec 2010, there are 2,112,277 federal employees with an average salary of $74,817. If you offered a 2% decrease in salary for the privilage of working fulltime from home, the potential annual salary savings equates to $3.160 Billion! And that does not include potential savings for office space leases, utilities, sick leave, etc.
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11 votes
...preferably in their area of expertise. I propose a telework program that supports Eligible Family Members of Foreign Service and Defense personnel by providing direct employment opportunities to appropriate government positions. Many roles in Washington and elsewhere can be effectively carried out remotely by qualified Foreign Service and Defense spouses. Partners of serving Foreign Service and Defense personnel ...more »
...preferably in their area of expertise.
I propose a telework program that supports Eligible Family Members of Foreign Service and Defense personnel by providing direct employment opportunities to appropriate government positions.
Many roles in Washington and elsewhere can be effectively carried out remotely by qualified Foreign Service and Defense spouses.
Partners of serving Foreign Service and Defense personnel face a range of issues related to securing employment and maintaining a career as they relocate internationally and domestically, serving the country in this indirect manner.
Often, very talented people settle with low paying embassy, military base or local economy positions just so they have a job, sometimes abandoning career aspirations of their own.
This somewhat latent asset of approximately 20,000 skilled Americans can serve our country more effectively if it is treated as more than the sum of the parts.
The current plethora of a-la-carte programs tend to confuse rather than assist trailing spouses. What is needed is support in the form of access to government and private sector positions to reduce the strains that often lead to expensive curtailment of assignments, or in some cases resignation from the Foreign Service.
A system that dynamically matches family members, based on availability, skills, experience etc. with current positions or projects in government and private sector could serve this community, government and business alike.
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24 votes
By mandating all employees telework and telework on specific days, office usage could be directed to benefit the Federal Government. An example would be having two large agencies occupy the same building. By altering days employees report to the office, energy consumption would be reduced and taxpayers expenses would be reduced by over 50%. Saving the government millions of dollars.
9 votes
As a counter to forthcoming telework for recognized senior-level employees that cannot work telework for whatever reason, allow a certain number of these recognized senior-level employees to become salaried vice 40-hour work week-based. Everyone knows those that would abuse such a system, and all surely know those good, solid employees that would not abuse but benefit in productivity. Start off with GS-15s on a pilot-basis. ...more »
As a counter to forthcoming telework for recognized senior-level employees that cannot work telework for whatever reason, allow a certain number of these recognized senior-level employees to become salaried vice 40-hour work week-based. Everyone knows those that would abuse such a system, and all surely know those good, solid employees that would not abuse but benefit in productivity. Start off with GS-15s on a pilot-basis. Just like telework abusers, those who abuse this process would become ineligible. Trust is the basis of telework; trust can be the basis for this change as well.
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6 votes
It's impossible to track Actuals for use of the daily transit benefit. The payment should be as "look-back" from last month. Submit what you actually spent last month for this very generous benefit. Timecard data should agree with what is submitted. Electronically submit for the benefit through your electronic Time and Attendance. If someone has a few days' unexpected telework or is out three days for medical, this is ...more »
It's impossible to track Actuals for use of the daily transit benefit. The payment should be as "look-back" from last month. Submit what you actually spent last month for this very generous benefit. Timecard data should agree with what is submitted. Electronically submit for the benefit through your electronic Time and Attendance. If someone has a few days' unexpected telework or is out three days for medical, this is not being reflected in the actual payment that is made. Tremendous waste is built into the system. Transit benefit should be tiered-for-income as well. Highest paid workers should not get the same benefit as lowest grades, it should be means tested--Congress members make $174K a year, should they have exactly the same $230 monthly benefit as a
GS-4?
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23 votes
Since report numbers can, and are, skewed to show the data someone wants to show, I make a simple suggestion for true Telework numbers: Have OPM email web-based survey requests to each FTE government-only employee to request their status on regular/recurring telework schedules. It would need to stress regular/recurring telework, not occasional, emergency (weather/health), and similar telework options. It can be a ...more »
Since report numbers can, and are, skewed to show the data someone wants to show, I make a simple suggestion for true Telework numbers:
Have OPM email web-based survey requests to each FTE government-only employee to request their status on regular/recurring telework schedules. It would need to stress regular/recurring telework, not occasional, emergency (weather/health), and similar telework options.
It can be a relatively simple survey which OPM can make confidential:
1. Agency, Sub-Agency/Bureau/Department, etc. so there is an accurate capture of agency information (directly to OPM).
2. Office Location (DC-Metro, State & City, US Territory, or Foreign Country & Locale).
3. Yes/No: are you on a regular/recurring telework schedule?
4. Yes/No: have you submitted a request? 4a. If "yes", has your request been denied for any reason? 4b. if 4 is "no", have you NOT submitted a request because your impression is telework is being resisted/denied as a whole?
5. Yes/No: are you aware of others within your immediate office that are on a regular/recurring telework schedule? 5a. If "no", are you aware if a request was made? If 5a is "yes", are you aware if their request was denied for any reason?
I'm sure there are a few more simple questions that OPM (or you the reader) could add to keep the survey short, yet provide true statistics directly to OPM, without going through individual mini-reporting cylces done by individuals who then can skew the data to show what they want to show.
For REAL data on telework, the middle-man has to be kept out of the reporting game.
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53 votes
Currently those who telework from their homes are not allowed tax deductions for home workspace, equipment, utilities, etc. even though they are reducing use of those resouces at their agency offices.
12 votes
Perhaps we should allow employees with governemnet issued cell phones to get rid of them and get a small stipened in return for using their personal cell phone for work purposes. Currently many people have to carry 2 cellular phones (one for work and one for personal use). Allowing a small stipend (as many companies do) would allow people to carry only one phone and would save the government money. It would also make ...more »
Perhaps we should allow employees with governemnet issued cell phones to get rid of them and get a small stipened in return for using their personal cell phone for work purposes. Currently many people have to carry 2 cellular phones (one for work and one for personal use). Allowing a small stipend (as many companies do) would allow people to carry only one phone and would save the government money. It would also make teleworking a lot easier.
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16 votes
“Jail” – turn all jails into manufacturing plants “Made in the USA”. “Telework” - While employees tend to telework more often, offices at their usual working sites tend to be unoccupied, the result is a waste in electricity, and expensive real estate costs that could be avoided (i.e. implement a hoteling policy, go from offices to cubes, modify building lease by reducing space, etc). “Locality pay” – agencies have ...more »
“Jail” – turn all jails into manufacturing plants “Made in the USA”.
“Telework” - While employees tend to telework more often, offices at their usual working sites tend to be unoccupied, the result is a waste in electricity, and expensive real estate costs that could be avoided (i.e. implement a hoteling policy, go from offices to cubes, modify building lease by reducing space, etc).
“Locality pay” – agencies have the advantage relocating employees whose physical presence is not required in DC to locations where locality pay is the lowest (i.e. GS 9 in DC gets paid around 50k per year, that same GS 9 can be paid around 40k somewhere else – technology can justify physical presence).
“Redundancy” – eliminate all jobs that are redundant and do not produce anything.
“Communication” – there is no need to have a Blackberry, office phone, fax machine, beeper, pager, etc. - Why pay twice for the same service? Blackberry or any other Smart phone can do all at once.
“Welfare” – a whole other topic/no comment.
“American People” – how about educating society? (not to live paycheck by paycheck, not to blame others for our failures, topped on credit card bills, trying to be up with the Joneses) – huge change in American society – if WE want to be a world leader we must act like one.
“CULTURE” - All ideas posted in this website are great. Focusing on saving, saving, and saving is good, but it is way better to focus on PRODUCING. On the other hand, most could be done if it wasn’t for CULTURE resistance.
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32 votes
Let's send all the Senators and Congressmen home and have them spend the vast majority of their time amongst their constituents, where they can rediscover how to represent their interests There is more than enough teleconferencing and other types of telecommunications technology available to allow them to maintain close contact with each other and their staffs 24/7. Imagine what 535 plane fares costs, not to mention ...more »
Let's send all the Senators and Congressmen home and have them spend the vast majority of their time amongst their constituents, where they can rediscover how to represent their interests There is more than enough teleconferencing and other types of telecommunications technology available to allow them to maintain close contact with each other and their staffs 24/7. Imagine what 535 plane fares costs, not to mention the entourage, and how often do they shuttle? The investment in any necessary technology should easily pay for itself within a matter of weeks from travel savings alone!
And think of the side benefits. Terrorists lose a prime target and the government becomes more secure. Legislators can go to two meetings simultaneously -- or more. They can turn on their mute for staff discussions in real time. The influence of lobbyists should be greatly diluted. The advantages are endless. We could convert the capitol building for other uses. University? Convention Center? Museum?
What would YOU use it for?
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37 votes
Printing and retaining paper records in multiple locations based on outmoded interpretations of Federal Record keeping regulations and guidance where reliable electronic records are available and used generates significant wasted time and scarce resources. Paper files are created each day for all aspects of federal record keeping from human resources to budget and finance to contracts and agreements. The creation and ...more »
Printing and retaining paper records in multiple locations based on outmoded interpretations of Federal Record keeping regulations and guidance where reliable electronic records are available and used generates significant wasted time and scarce resources. Paper files are created each day for all aspects of federal record keeping from human resources to budget and finance to contracts and agreements. The creation and retention of paper-based files is either based on a misconception that applicable federal regulations require paper to be retained or on a failure of leadership to recognize and capitalize on technological advances in this area.
For example, all contract documents are created in word processing, spreadsheet, or other software applications and sent through e-mail to the intended recipient. Signatures, where required, are accomplished by printing the document, scanning it, and returning it to the sender or next signatory via e-mail. The wasted time it takes each individual in this process can be measured in increments of an hour each day, however, when multiplied the hundreds of thousands of federal employees and contractor personnel involved every day the costs become substantial. Savings can be realized from reduced printing, mailing, paper and storage space and the associated maintenance costs of the equipment supporting these operations. The paper yoke limits the ability of entrenched bureaucracies from restructuring to respond to dynamic conditions and needs. The reduction in floor space for file rooms, file cabinets, and cubicle file drawers will enable savings through facilities consolidation, and will un-tether the federal workforce from the traditional office environment, facilitating mobile federal operations and a more agile federal workforce.
Adopting an electronic work environment increases the capacity of federal employees and others to quickly find and access electronic documents and information; dramatically improving the responsiveness of federal employees to the public we serve as well as executive and congressional leadership and staff. The electronic work environment will increase document security and enhance information sharing among federal employees and the interested public and reduce filing and search costs. Password protection at appropriate levels and audit logs provide greater information security for sensitive private or proprietary information, while increasing transparency of and access to public records. Increased transparency of federal records will increase the quality of federal records, because shoddy documentation could no longer be tucked-away in a dimly lit file room behind layers of security guards and key-card locks. Public visibility into federal records will increase the level of confidence the public has in our federal government.
The technology to electronically generate, route, and retain official documentation is sufficiently mature to eliminate this outmoded, wasteful practice. Collaborative Web 2.0 and cloud environments such as Facebook, WebEx, SharePoint, instant messaging, Skype, and countless others render traditional bureaucratic processes obsolete, woefully inefficient, and in the end extremely frustrating to the public served.
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72 votes
1. Saves energy in America.
2. Saves roads / extends their life
3. Less energy consumed in office space
4. Focus for projects
5. Improved morale
6. More agile workforce able to work offsite during contingencies
6 votes
I believe that the government’s telework policy is flawed. With more and more employees taking advantage of the program; more and more customer are not getting timely assistance, and when there are no employees in the office to assist the customer, they ask to speak to a manager or a supervisor to complain. Then, I have to tell the already angry customer, I’m sorry they are not in the office today, because they are ...more »
I believe that the government’s telework policy is flawed. With more and more employees taking advantage of the program; more and more customer are not getting timely assistance, and when there are no employees in the office to assist the customer, they ask to speak to a manager or a supervisor to complain. Then, I have to tell the already angry customer, I’m sorry they are not in the office today, because they are working form an alternate work place. How does this help our customers, if we make ourselves unavailable?
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35 votes
Rather than repetitively solicit staff for telework opportunities, in the face of imposition of extreme limitations on telework (contrary to White House direction), require management to produce documentation of reasons for resistence to implementing full on teleworking arrangements. Some of the restrictions make telework a silly option for many. It would be much more effecient if we were all cognizant of reasons for ...more »
Rather than repetitively solicit staff for telework opportunities, in the face of imposition of extreme limitations on telework (contrary to White House direction), require management to produce documentation of reasons for resistence to implementing full on teleworking arrangements. Some of the restrictions make telework a silly option for many. It would be much more effecient if we were all cognizant of reasons for resistence so we can rectify - rather than continually trying to justify why we should telework.
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14 votes
Combine the following threads as they are the same topic: *** Topic: End of fiscal year spending Eliminate End of Year Spending End of Year Spend Down Save it for Tomorrow Agency Budget Incentive Stop punishing us for saving money Provide Incentive to Agencies to Save or Return Money Fiscal year carry over ***************************************************** Please do the same for threads on: Telework Contract ...more »
Combine the following threads as they are the same topic:
*** Topic: End of fiscal year spending
Eliminate End of Year Spending
End of Year Spend Down
Save it for Tomorrow Agency Budget Incentive
Stop punishing us for saving money
Provide Incentive to Agencies to Save or Return Money
Fiscal year carry over
*****************************************************
Please do the same for threads on:
Telework
Contract workers
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48 votes
Mandate - shut down all non essential government buildings either Monday or Friday or Monday and Friday. Creating a 3 or 4 day office work week. Give employees the option of working 4, 10 hour days; 3, 12 hours days; 5, 8 hours days with two telework 4, 8 hour days with one day telework (tying into the weekend works best for energy conservation and consistency). That includes the post offices, labs, military retail ...more »
Mandate - shut down all non essential government buildings either Monday or Friday or Monday and Friday. Creating a 3 or 4 day office work week.
Give employees the option of working
4, 10 hour days;
3, 12 hours days;
5, 8 hours days with two telework
4, 8 hour days with one day telework
(tying into the weekend works best for energy conservation and consistency). That includes the post offices, labs, military retail stores...etc. You would save a ton of money by opening the building for four days only, in utilities, fuel consumption etc...
*People driving during non rush hour-Less road congestion and maintenance.
*Less maintenance on mass transit
*Reduction in spending
*Save gasoline costs
*Reduce pollution
These changes will give you a cleaner greener planet, save lots of money AND very happy employees!
I am not sure if this is an option for some agencies but you may want to keep the building open 7 days and run the above schedule and cut your office space in half.
*Save on office space by staggering schedules (people working 3 office days and 2 telecommute Sun-Tues and people working 4 office days and 1 telecommute would work Wed-Sat)
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14 votes
Each government employee should spend a few minutes with Ted Talks---Ideas Worth Spreading. http://www.ted.com/ Find some subjects of interest and watch to see what develops in YOU. The presentations are, by definition, concise. Rarely does any speaker go over the 15 minute suggested time. That time element is part of what makes Ted Talks such a great tool. If you can't give your "elevator speech", then go back ...more »
Each government employee should spend a few minutes with Ted Talks---Ideas Worth Spreading. http://www.ted.com/
Find some subjects of interest and watch to see what develops in YOU. The presentations are, by definition, concise. Rarely does any speaker
go over the 15 minute suggested time. That time element is part of what makes Ted Talks such a great tool. If you can't give your "elevator speech", then go back to the drawing board until you can.
Watch at least three (3) to get a feel for how they are constructed. You will learn that sprightly presentations work. Using humor, personal examples get the listener's attention. You will soon learn, that if we were all thinking like this, we would get alot more done, in our families, in the workplace, in our nation, which is part of our ever expanding World.
You can listen on your home computer or through your home download of iTunes.
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