Page 1 GAO-25-107078 Telework
In early 2020, telework became an important part of the pandemic response to
reduce the spread of COVID-19 and ensure the continuity of business
operations. In July 2023, we reported that telework nearly tripled from an
estimated 5.7 percent of workers in 2019 to 17.9 percent of workers in 2021,
based on our analysis of American Community Survey data. Since the pandemic,
several employers have issued return-to-office mandates, which have reduced or
eliminated telework entirely.
The ongoing use of telework since the pandemic ended has been an evolving
area. We were asked to examine various issues related to telework and issued
the first in a series of reports in July 2023 to respond to this request. In our July
2023 report, we reported on changes in telework before and during the pandemic
as well as its impact on worker productivity and employer performance. This is
our second report in the series. A third report, which we expect to issue later this
year, will address the effect of telework on transportation, housing, and other
sectors.
This second report examines private sector employer and worker stakeholders’
and experts’ views on the benefits, challenges, and other aspects of telework and
telework policies; the telework policies of selected countries; and the Department
of Labor’s (DOL) labor law guidance on telework. To obtain stakeholders’ views,
we interviewed officials from 11 organizations that represent private sector
workers and employers in industries with the highest rates of telework. We also
interviewed organizations that represent specific groups of workers and
employers that may have significant or unique experiences with telework (e.g.,
older workers or small businesses). Stakeholder responses are not quantifiable
or generalizable, so we present individual responses. To obtain experts’ views,
we interviewed seven expert researchers and a representative from a private
sector research organization, whom we collectively refer to as experts. We
selected three expert researchers based on the number of times their work was
cited in our July 2023 report, and the other four researchers based on referrals
from the initial three researchers. To obtain an industry perspective, we selected
the one private sector research organization we identified with original telework
job postings data that it uses for labor market research.
• The employer stakeholder organizations we interviewed said private sector
employers consider several factors when deciding whether to adopt telework,
such as job types, costs, and effects on recruitment and retention. They said
employers also consider effects on their ability to track job performance and
maintain collaboration.
• The employer stakeholder organizations most often said the greatest benefit
of telework is the ability to attract and retain staff. Worker stakeholder
organizations also said telework benefits recruitment and retention.
U.S. Government Accountability Office
Private Sector Stakeholder and
Views
-25-107078
Report to Congressional Requesters
