The Commerce Learning Center offers training and certification requirements for superiors and staff. These trainings are specifically aimed at managers who wish to acquire advice, tools and tactics for effective management of the performance of remote employees. Employees interested in telecommuting can learn more about telework positions within their agency, employer expectations, the development of telework agreements and strong benefit plans, and cooperation between superiors and employees. The available training is described below. OPM can provide training for success as a teleworker or as a member of a virtual team. The training focuses on the implementation of a strong telecommuting agreement and a performance plan. Topics include the emphasis on cooperation in setting results-based standards, with measures and indicators of success, agreement on basic hours and response times to communication, and the formalization of team standards. The orientation of the expectations of superiors and staff on these issues is essential to creating and maintaining a successful virtual environment. Employees understand their responsibility as teleworkers and how they can successfully work remotely as a team.
Workers are not entitled to telework. Workers should discuss the eligibility of telework and agreements with their superiors. For specific ICR instructions, please contact your IC Telework coordinator. The training aims to help managers and staff develop their skills, communicate their performance expectations, manage the telework process, manage self-regulation and work together successfully in a mobile environment. The Office of Personnel Management has adopted its “Washington, DC, Area Dismissal and Closure Procedures” (December 2015). This publication contains guidelines for the use of telework when OPM issues an announcement on federal office closures, late arrival and early release due to emergency conditions in the Washington, D.C. metropolitan area. OPM offers fully customizable telework training for agencies, managers and employees. The training available includes: OPM can provide hands-on training in writing measurable and results-oriented performance evaluation standards or objectives.
The course material contains best practices in writing results-based standards and provides information on OPM policies and regulations. The course also includes the development of a performance evaluation standard and performance plan that meets OPM`s performance evaluation requirements. This course will focus on cooperation in setting results-based standards, with measures and indicators of success, agreement on key hours and response times to communication, best practices to facilitate staff self-regulation, advice to ensure effective communication and timing of termination of a telework agreement. In order to strengthen the content of the training, the course manager calls for a discussion on different telework scenarios that can occur in the management of a virtual team. HR Contacts First contact your IC telecommuting coordinator if you have any questions about your telecommuting program and policies. The training consists of team and communication exercises and discussions on best practices to facilitate cooperation when teams are separated either by telework or between states.