Is the incidence of telecommuting as an alternative work arrangement increasing in the Federal public sector?

Telecommuting is an alternative work arrangement which allows individuals to work\ud away from the office on a full time or part time basis whilst commuting electronically.\ud In the case of the Federal Public Sector this is mainly associated with part time\ud homebased work. As work cultures continue to evolve and as the Federal Public Sector\ud looks for new and better ways to make the best use of its resources, telecommuting is\ud emerging as an effective work practice that meets these challenges.\ud This paper investigates whether the incidence of telecommuting as an alternative work\ud arrangement is increasing in the Federal Public Sector and if so, at what rate of growth.\ud It describes the nature of change in the workplace as a result of the introduction of\ud telecommuting and identifies factors which contribute to its success and failure. Critical\ud issues, the current and future status of telecommuting and its trends are also examined.\ud It was found that the current penetration and participation rates within the Federal\ud Public Sector are low, but that the incidence of telecommuting is increasing at a slow\ud rate. There is a favourable acceptance towards telecommuting within the workplace and\ud with its gradual implementation will enhance work practices within those areas.\ud Telecommuting is emerging as an effective work alternative which is becoming more\ud cost effective, and has come a long way with the assistance of technology.\ud It is expected that telecommuting will increase exponentially as the acceptance increases\ud and culturally more technically literate persons enter the workforce