Government agencies’ efficiency not clearly affected by telework
The opportunity to telework has not had any tangible effect – neither positive nor negative – on whether government agencies’ activities are conducted efficiently. At least not in the short term, according to the audit performed by the Swedish National Audit Office.
After the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, many government agencies now offer their employees the opportunity to telework. In 2023, about 60% of central government employees worked from home at least some day a week.
The Swedish National Audit Office has examined whether employees’ possibility to telework contributes to the efficient operation of government agencies’ activities. The overall assessment is that this possibility has not had any significant impact − either positive or negative.
However, the audit highlights a number of consequences that the government agencies need to pay attention to and deal with.
For example, teleworking has led to several positive consequences for the work environment. Employees appreciate the improved work-life balance and the opportunity for flexibility that telework leads to.
The transition to remote work has also been conducive to the development of government agencies’ digital ways of working, thus saving time and resources. Telework has also led to better prospects for recruiting and retaining staff, for example by being able to recruit from a larger geographical area.
At the same time, telework has had some negative consequences. The largest of these are adverse effects on several social aspects, such as cooperation, peer learning and the sense of community. Telework has also led to challenges for managers to lead their employees and recognise their need for support.
“The fact that this does not seem to affect government agencies’ efficiency may have several explanations. For example, the consequences of weaker social relations and lack of peer learning may not be noticeable until the longer term,” says Johanna Köhlmark, Project Leader for the audit.
Government agencies may need to develop new working methods to meet the challenges of telework. For instance, procedures for the induction of new employees, how knowledge is shared and how the agency works to create a sound workplace culture. Both managers and employees may need to take more active responsibility for the social aspects of work.
“This report does not answer all questions about the implications of telework for central government activities. However, it identifies several challenges that need to be addressed to avoid negative consequences for government agency performance,” says Deputy Auditor General Claudia Gardner Morner.
Recommendations in brief
The challenges of telework are common to most government agencies. The Swedish National Audit Office therefore makes recommendations to the Government and the Swedish Agency for Government Employers rather than to individual government agencies.
The Government is recommended to assign the appropriate government agency the task of following up government agencies’ application of telework, preferably in a few years’ time to examine whether the situation has changed. The follow-up should particularly focus on:
- whether teleworking has affected government agencies’ performance, positively and negatively, in the longer term
- what measures government agencies have taken in relation to the aspects adversely affected by teleworking
- what measures government agencies have taken to ensure that the conditions applied to teleworking are adapted to the needs of the activities
- what measures government agencies have taken to tackle the implications of telework regarding practical circumstances, such as digital tools and premises.
The Swedish Agency for Government Employers is recommended, in the support they provide to its members, to continue to promote the exchange of experience and the dissemination of good examples of how the challenges of telework can be addressed.
Read the summary