Federal Managers Association

In the News

• GAO: Private Sector Values Telework for Recruiting, Retention, Other Purposes - May 12, 2025

• FEDweek

  Private sector companies value telework for its positive impact on recruitment and retention, the GAO has said in a report that lands just after the Trump administration’s return-to-office policy has severely cut back that option in federal agencies.

  GAO said that like the government, the private sector greatly increased use of telework due to the pandemic—nearly tripling to about 18 percent of all workers in 2021—and that since then many have issued similar return-to-office mandates.
  
  In interviews with employers in industries with the highest rates of telework, organizations that represent private sector workers and researchers, GAO found that private companies use standards similar to those used by federal agencies in deciding who is eligible for telework, including whether the job involves in-person customer interaction, are more suitable for telework.

  To read the full article, click here.

##