Teleworking in a Revenue Agency Larry Durbin Assistant Commissioner – Customer Relations Virginia Department of Taxation

2 TAX Telework Programs Remote Worker Program One-Day Program

3 Remote Worker Program Began in 2001 with home-based auditors and collectors Pilot Program implemented late 2006 for Customer Service & Data Capture  14 total (11 CSR’s & 3 Data Capture Operators)  new and experienced CSR’s General Policies  State-owned PC provided  High Speed Connectivity provided  Flexible work hours for CSR’s  Periodic in office meeting Program elevated from Pilot after only 4 months due to positive results TAX Policies This is a test..

4 Remote Worker Program Customer Service Productivity Results (After 4 months of pilot implementation)

5 Remote Worker Program Data Capture Productivity Results (after 4 months of pilot implementation)

6 Remote Worker Program Classified Employee Leave Results

7 Remote Worker Southwest Virginia Expansion for Filing Season 2008 Program expanded to Southwest Virginia where unemployment is higher Hired 25 customer service reps in Oct (year round temporary staff) Hired 29 Data Capture Operators in Feb (seasonal temporary staff) Meet TAX’s critical needs

8 One Day Program General Policies  employees must express interest & be eligible (75% are eligible)  employee-owned PC required or TAX laptop  high speed connectivity required for IRMS users at employees expense  telework Agreement must be signed Management Policies  teleworking is not an entitlement  business need supersedes telework day Roll-out  Small waves of 50–75 employees  in monthly increments  from various operational areas  employees telework one designated day of the week TAX Policies

9 One-Day Program Report from Teleworkers three to six months after implementation

10 One Day Program Results Report from Managers six months after implementation

11 Telework in some capacity (as of 09/23/08) # of employees % of TAX workforce One Day Teleworkers 37137% Remote Workers (Richmond, SW VA) 444% Field Audit & Collections 21221% TOTAL62762% TAX Telework Totals

12 Citrix Secure Gateway or VPN Citrix Secure Gateway  Permits secure remote access to agency resources  Remote access takes place via a secure web interface  Provides the ability to insulate our network from any remote computers  Available for use from any computer which meets the conditions set forth by the Remote Access Security Policy VPN  Permits secure remote access to agency resources  Available only to users with Agency-owned assets – remote computers become an extension of the Agency’s network  May not be used over wireless networks  Allows greater access to applications

13 Agency Benefits Recruitment & Retention Higher Productivity Strong Foundation for COOP Planning

14 Employee Benefits Employee Benefits Less Commute Time Reduced Stress Increased Job Satisfaction Increased Morale More Flexibility Monetary Savings “Being able to telework, especially mid-week, has already helped me to meet deadlines, reduce my stress, and actually gives me something to look forward to”. “Since I started to telework I find myself thinking that I have the perfect job”. “I am more relaxed. I feel that I am happier. I hope that in the future this Teleworking opportunity will expand from 1 day to 5 days. Teleworking has great benefits”. “I'm able to plan out my day. If I need to do a few errands, I can do that and still be able to work my eight hours. I can take a break during lunch and make up the time by working longer in the evening”. “Teleworking is wonderful. It saves me a great deal of time, gas, and tolls from the commute” “The extra time I get by not having to commute 90 minutes a day plus the extra 30 minutes of sleep not having to get dressed up, fix my hair etc, before coming to work. This extra personal time is invaluable to me”.

15 Environmental Benefits

16 Environmental Impacts and Savings Program Statistics One-Day Program Remote Worker Program (not including field) TOTAL Telework Programs Gallons of Gas Saved Per year 20,160 25,600 45,760 Reduced CO2 emissions per year 258 tons 2100 tons 2,358 tons Commute miles saved per week 9,851 16,000 25,851 Telework hours per week 2,968 1,760 4,728 Individual Statistics One-Day Teleworker Remote Worker Gallons of Gas Saved per person (per year) Average Employee Savings (per year) $1,125 $5,000.00

17 Lessons Learned Strong executive commitment essential – at TAX, the leadership team piloted one-day teleworking before agency roll-out TAX is repository for extremely sensitive and confidential data. Citrix Secure Gateway has been effective protection and there have been no security breaches. Requires management by results not observation Not every person is well-suited to telework. Some people lack necessary self-discipline while others require daily, in-person interaction Teleworking must be approached as a business need, not an employee benefit or right. Better recruitment and retention are valid business needs

18 What’s happening in the office? watching the clock snoozing water cooler chit chatparties showers social break

19 What’s happening at home? "Teleworking! I love it" “I get more work done, I start working early, I don't need a lot of time for lunch and I find myself working later”. “The gas savings is a big incentive for me. I really enjoy getting up, putting my child on the school bus and getting right into my work”. “I have really liked not having to drive anywhere. I have been using the commute time in the morning to take the dog on a walk”.

20 TAX Telework Programs For additional information on TAX’s telework programs, please contact: Robin Mack TAX Telework Coordinator (804)