[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 116 (Wednesday, July 29, 2009)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E2085]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      ON TELEWORK DAY IN VIRGINIA

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                          HON. JAMES P. MORAN

                              of virginia

                    in the house of representatives

                        Wednesday, July 29, 2009

  Mr. MORAN of Virginia. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of Monday, 
August 3, as Telework Day in Virginia and applaud Governor Tim Kaine on 
this initiative.
  On this day, thousands of Virginians will perform a full day's work 
from their houses rather than their places of work. This practice 
empowers workers who feel that they can fulfill their obligations to 
their employer equally well from home as in a brick and mortar office.
  My colleagues, teleworking provides enormous benefits to employers 
and employees alike, as well as positive social and economic impacts. 
Teleworking, a practice which dates to the 1960s and then was 
dramatically expanded in the '90s, thanks to a host of networking 
innovations, can save employers premises costs and office overhead 
fees.
  If all eligible Federal employees teleworked 2 days per week, the 
Federal Government could realize $3.3 billion in savings in commuting 
costs annually and eliminate the emission of 2.7 million tons of 
pollutants each year. Furthermore, it would provide an easy and 
necessary means of operational continuity should the Nation's Capital 
be the target of another horrific terror attack.
  Teleworking can also increase productivity, typically 10 percent to 
40 percent per person in large programs, by eliminating the often 
distressing and frustrating commute to and from work. For example, it 
eliminates commuting costs for employees because they do not have to 
pay for gas or public transportation. Given that the average round trip 
commute is 50 miles and commuters spend an average of 264 hours per 
year commuting (66 minutes per day), Americans would be relieved of the 
burden of spending so much time on the road that could be better spent 
with their families.
  Through this practice, employees are allowed the freedom of working 
at their optimal times; some might be more productive in the morning 
while others might be more productive late at night. Telework allows 
the workers to get into a personal daily rhythm and work when they 
please, thus maximizing individual liberty and occupational 
productivity.
  At this time, States and localities all around the Nation are 
grappling with ways in which congestion on the roadways can be reduced. 
We could facilitate greater capacity for mass transportation--but that 
requires heavy infrastructure investment and the vision to plan long-
term. We could also build more roadways--but that would simply invite 
more cars and more traffic, while doing nothing to improve the quality 
of life for millions of hardworking Americans.
  Those options taken together do indeed form a necessary component of 
traffic mitigation, but they take both time and money. Teleworking is 
simple to implement, economical to operate, and reflects the many ways 
in which technology has allowed the spheres of personal and 
professional life to blend together. It allows for a young professional 
to care for her newborn child or a son to care for his ailing mother in 
the comfort of their own homes, without worrying what would happen 
should they have to spend a portion of their day in an office, away 
from those who depend on their presence.
  I am proud to say that at the end of 2005, Fairfax County in Virginia 
was able to meet the region-wide target of having 20 percent of 
eligible workers engaged in teleworking. I would invite my colleagues 
to take note of teleworking's success and stand up for a worker's 
ability to set his or her own schedule, with the expectation that it 
will allow for a more flexible lifestyle without compromising 
productivity. Rather than relying on the desks, chairs, and file 
cabinets that defined the average employee's office a generation ago, 
telework allows Americans to bring the workplace to them, not the other 
way around.

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