The majority of the DOD workforce feels as productive – or more productive – working remotely, a recent Pentagon inspector general’s report said, according to Federal News Network.

The IG study surveyed more than 55,000 employees about their experiences teleworking during the pandemic.

“It has been outstanding, to be honest,” one respondent said. “I have 20 to 25 hours per week in additional time I used to spend commuting.”

Negative responses were often focused on IT issues, which were especially prevalent last spring and fall when agencies shifted quickly to working online.

But just months into the pandemic, DOD leaders had started to notice the uptick in productivity.

“We’ve had an 800% increase in our ability to do this teleworking digital experience,” then-Air Force Deputy Chief of Staff Gen. Stephen Wilson said in September. “Nobody wants to go back to what we were doing. So, how do we take this challenge and use it as an opportunity to move us forward?”

Photo by Taylor Koopman