The Government Accountability Office has released a report urging federal agencies to establish new standards for determining office space needs in light of the growing trend of telework. According to the report, which recommends that the Office of Management and Budget take charge of this process, many agencies currently only use their headquarters space for 25% or less of their working hours. This contributes significantly to excess and underutilized space, an ongoing issue that has kept federal real property management on GAO’s High-Risk List since 2003.
To address this problem, the GAO suggests implementing a standardized method for measuring utilization and establishing benchmarks that account for increased levels of telework. With federal agencies occupying approximately 460 million square feet at an annual cost exceeding $7 billion in rent and operations expenses combined, such measures could help identify underutilized spaces within individual organizations as well as across different departments.
This latest development highlights the need for improved guidelines on managing office spaces within government entities. By taking proactive steps towards optimizing workspace usage through effective measurement techniques and benchmarking strategies tailored specifically to accommodate remote work arrangements, federal agencies can better manage costs while promoting efficient use of resources.
