Gov. Timothy M. Kaine has signed an executive order creating an Office of Telework Promotion and Broadband Assistance within the Office of the Secretary of Technology. The Office will encourage and promote telework activities for public and private employers, and work to advance innovative models that expedite the deployment of “last-mile” broadband technologies throughout the Commonwealth.
Said Kaine at the 2006 Commonwealth of Virginia Innovative Technology Symposium held in Roanoke: “Telework is a family-friendly, business-friendly public policy that helps us recruit and retain a high-quality workforce in a competitive job market. It also protects environmental quality and promotes energy conservation by reducing traffic congestion and vehicle emissions.”
With portable computers, personal digital technology, and high speed telecommunications links, many employees today can work almost anywhere at least some of the time. The Virginia General Assembly has set a goal of shifting a significant number of jobs into alternative work schedules by 2010, which will involve expanded use of telework. State agencies are being surveyed to gather baseline data on the amount of telework currently conducted.
One word reaction: Bravo!
