The exerpt below is one section from OPM's Federal Managers'/ Decison Makers' Emergency Guide, (see page 7 of the 16 page PDF document). I normally like to pull out just the highlights to make a quick read for you, but this is too valuable to summarize.

For those who just don't have time, here's the take away message: Telework is a core enabling practice for continuity of operations during an emergency. Teleworking today, during non-emergency times, is the way to prepare for those emergencies.

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Guidance on Telework or Other Flexibilities.

Agencies must have plans in place that allow the business of government to continue during emergency situations. Designated Continuity of Operations (COOP) facilities may not have all the staff needed to support important missions and cannot accommodate enough key staff to facilitate maximum government operations. Not all key staff may be designated to report to COOP sites. Telework is a virtual resource solution and provides access to resources that may not be available otherwise.

Telework supports agency leadership in accomplishing the mission. Recent OPM guidance on emergency planning has emphasized the role of telework. Agencies have the flexibility to use teleworkers in emergency situations but it won’t happen spontaneously. A viable on-going telework program is the foundation that must be in place. With 21st century technology, agencies can conduct agency financial and other transactions with appropriate security and authentication mechanisms away from Federal buildings. With the appropriate remote administration of essential support systems e.g., the provision of help-desk support, teleworkers can help ensure the continuity of business operations.

To facilitate the use of telework during emergencies, certain steps are necessary. Agencies must:

• Develop a cadre of regularly scheduled "core" teleworkers
• Permit teleworkers to experience working off-site and learn to communicate electronically with colleagues and clients by doing it regularly.
• Permit supervisors and managers to experience managing employees without face to face contact.

With telework in place during emergencies, experienced teleworkers won’t need to master new computer programs, and, managers will learn to supervise a "virtual workforce" by doing it under normal conditions.

To make telework a viable option during emergencies, agency work must be organized to facilitate electronic communication and eliminate paper-based processes whenever possible, e.g., automating reports and procedures as much as possible. Employees need to experience functioning in a "virtual office" and they need to be linked via computer and telephone from home or alternative work sites. Managers need to be comfortable supervising people they don’t see regularly.

Agency policy should be reviewed for clear distinctions between core and situational telework. Telework agreements can be tailored to the two categories:

Core telework—regular and recurring at least 1 day a week

Situational telework—occasional and non-routine

Situational status can sell telework to hesitant managers and employees. Several options can help encourage reluctant managers to use telework in their planning and preparation for emergencies:

• Formalizing situational telework arrangements,
• Setting a specific length of time for the trial period,
• Moving to core telework if both parties like the arrangement; it’s a no-risk, everybody-wins approach.
• Building emergency response contingencies into employees’ telework agreements,
• Including agency telework coordinators in disaster planning and exercises,
• Helping agency decision makers understand that telework is an important agency tool, not just a "nice to have" flexibility for employees