Introduction
Getting Started: A Telework Checklist
Teleworking Do's
Teleworking Don't's
Summary and Conclusion
Exit Presentation
Telework, also known as telecommuting, is emerging as a viable option for federal government employees. It is attractive for many reasons. It allows workers to balance their family and professional lives, reduces or even eliminates commuting time, reduces air pollution, and combats the rising costs of office space. In addition, advances in computer and telecommunications capabilities make telework increasingly practical. Because of the growing interest in flexible workplace arrangements, the Department of Defense (DoD) has implemented its own Telework Program.
This presentation covers the procedures and guidelines that govern DoD telework arrangements under the DoD Telework Policy and the DoD Telework Guide. It addresses the permissions required to telework, and the procedures and guidelines to follow once telework is approved.
At the end of this presentation, you will be familiar with basic concepts related to telework, and will be able to identify the major requirements associated with teleworking from home and from an official government telework center.
For complete information about telework rules and requirements, you must consult the official DoD Telework Policy and Telework Guide, which form the basis for this presentation. Both documents are available online for your reference.
To be eligible to telework from an official government telework center, you must perform the following tasks:
- Get your supervisor's permission.
- Sign a Telework Agreement.
- Use authorized equipment and software.
To be eligible to telework from home, you must also perform the following tasks:
- Use a separate room at home.
- ign a safety checklist.
Both tools can be used to add users, add groups, modify group membership, modify
user attributes, reset user passwords, and disable or remove users.
In addition, the Active Directory Computers and Users snap-in can be used to
move accounts between Active Directory containers.
The Active Directory Computers and Users snap-in is used for all account
management on domain controllers.
Read on to learn more about these tasks.
You must obtain your supervisor's permission to telework from home or from an official government telework center.
After you have received your supervisor's permission and signed a Telework Agreement, you are eligible to work at a government telework center!
Before you can do so, however, you need to call and reserve a space. Approval of your request will be based on the availability of space and budget.
You must have a signed Telework Agreement before you can telework at an official telework center or at home.
You and your employer must define and agree on the terms and conditions that will apply to your telework. Both the employer and the employee sign the Telework Agreement, which will include a work schedule, specify your worksite, and outline equipment and security issues.
After you have received your supervisor's permission and signed a Telework Agreement, you are eligible to work at a government telework center!
Before you can do so, however, you need to call and reserve a space. Approval of your request will be based on the availability of space and budget.
You must have a signed Telework Agreement before you can telework at an official telework center or at home.
While teleworking, you will use a computer system that is owned by the government. The equipment must be certified and accredited according to the latest DoD certification and accreditation guidance.
In addition, you may only use software approved for use on DoD information systems. Only IA or IA-enabled software found on the National Information Assurance Partnership Validated Products List, which have been evaluated and validated under the International Common Criteria, may be incorporated into DoD information systems.
These conditions apply to telework from home and telework in a government work center.
In order to telework from home, you are required to set aside a separate space where you will do your work. You must set up an office at home exclusively for telework!
Before you can telework from home you are required to sign a safety checklist. This checklist assesses the overall safety of your designated work area. You are required to comply with all of the safety requirements on the list, or take prompt action to do so.
Following are good teleworking habits that will make your teleworking experience a success:
- Carefully and thoroughly read your Telework Agreement and understand what it requires of you.
- Stay in contact with your supervisor and ask questions that arise about your telework. Call your supervisor with questions to make sure you are following the guidelines! Good communication is key to successful telework.
- Stay in contact with your supervisor and ask questions that arise about your telework. Call your supervisor with questions to make sure you are following the guidelines! Good communication is key to successful telework.
- Take the Telework Training class offered in your office. This will help you learn and understand the guidelines you will need to follow when teleworking.
- Check the DoD's online Telework Policy and Telework Guide when you have questions. Use the government website to access the DoD's Telework Policy and Telework Guide, as well as sample documents and frequently asked questions.
- Install only DoD-approved software on your telework computer.
- Set up strong computer security measures in your home office. Connecting through your virtual private network (VPN) provides you with good protection.
- Regularly review your safety checklist and make sure safe working conditions are maintained.
- Choose a strong password for your telework computer. It should include upper and lowercase letters, numbers, and special characters. It should not be found in a dictionary. It should be easy for you, and only you, to remember.
- Regularly change your password as an extra precaution. Take the time to change your password every other month. This gives you additional telework security.
- If you must keep copies of documents protected by the Privacy Act at home, keep them in a safe until you can return them to the office.
- Regularly purge older, unneeded data files from your computer.
- Keep your home office locked to protect your government-owned equipment from theft or unwanted intrusion. You can never be too safe.
- Set up a telephone line just for your telework. This keeps interruptions to a minimum and lets you concentrate on your work.
- Instruct your family members about the requirements and restrictions on using your telework space and equipment.
- When you telework from home, you are subject to periodic worksite inspections. By adhering to your Telework Agreement and following the DoD telework policies and guidelines, you will pass with flying colors!
Following are things you should NOT do when you are teleworking:
- Do not use a wireless connection for telework.
- Do not use file transfer protocol (FTP) software on your telework computer, not even for sending photos.
- Do not use peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software on your telework computer. Sharing certain types of files, such as video or music MP3 files that are copyrighted, is not only illegal, but using peer-to-peer software leaves your computer open to security vulnerabilities that hackers can use to access the data on your computer or even to highjack your computer for their own uses.
- Do not use telnet software on a telework computer. Using Telnet poses unacceptable security risks to your computer files.
- Do not do classified work in a telework situation. You may never do classified work in a telework situation, not even in a government telework center. All classified work has to be done at the office.
- Do not set up a telework computer without a password. DoD requires access control for all DoD information systems. Your telework computer is a DoD system, and passwords are the minimum requirement for access control. Having no password protection is like leaving your door unlocked!
- Do not use a password on your telework computer that is easy for someone to guess. The family pet's name, for example, is never a good password! Use DoD password guidelines for developing robust passwords.
- Do not set your password to a word that can be found in a dictionary. You may think your password is obscure, but if it can be found in a dictionary it is vulnerable! Protect yourself and create a stronger password.
- Do not share your password with anyone. A password is only good as long as it is secret. Sharing your password with someone else is against DoD policy, and that includes the password for your telework PC.
- Do not leave your telework computer logged on when you leave the house. Remember to log off your machine if you are going to be away from it for any period of time.
- Do not take originals of any documents protected by the Privacy Act from the office. Original documents that are protected by the Privacy Act should not leave the office. When teleworking, you may remove only copies, not originals, and even then, solely on a temporary basis.
- Do not use your telework equipment for anything but official duties. Surfing the web for gifts and other personal reasons should be extremely limited. Making a personal purchase online is not appropriate, no matter how much you need new running shoes. Using your telework computer for selling items from your home or from any internet auction website is illegal.
- Do not permit family members to use your government-furnished equipment. You should not have let your fifth-grader work on her book report on your telework computer. You are the only member of your family authorized to use your government-furnished telework equipment. Do not allow family members to use your computer!
- Do not allow personal disruptions to distract you from your work. Keep personal disruptions to a minimum. When you're working from home it is easy to get distracted. Try to keep personal disruptions to a minimum. Remember, you are doing your job!
- Do not use telework as a substitute for childcare. Telework requires your full attention, just as if you were in the office.
- Do not neglect the items on your safety checklist. You are required to satisfy the requirements in the DoD Telework Policy and Guide safety checklist, and take steps to promptly remedy any violations.
Telework can be a beneficial arrangement for both employees and employers.
If you are interested in teleworking, you first need to obtain authorization to do so. You will need your supervisor's permission, and you must also sign a Telework Agreement with your employer.
Once you are approved to telework, you can work at a government telework center after reserving a space.
You may also telework from home, but there are some extra guidelines you need to follow. You must set aside a space in your home that is dedicated solely to telework. You may use only authorized equipment and software. You need to implement appropriate security measures, as outlined in your Telework Agreement. You must also sign a safety checklist. Finally, you must always take care to protect any data involved in your telework.
To be certain of the rules and requirements of telework, consult the complete DoD Telework Policy and Telework Guide, which are available online.
This completes the presentation on telework.