Washington (govexec.com) -- Plans to increase telecommuting in the federal workplace are taking off at the Defense Department, where Pentagon officials recently issued new policy and guidance on the measure.

The new policy complies with a year-old law requiring federal agencies to establish policies allowing eligible employees to telecommute "to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance."

However, civilian defense department employees have had the authority to telework since 1995, according to a Pentagon spokeswoman, though few employees are taking advantage of the measure.

"People have been teleworking but the number aren’t very high," she said. "We see this new policy as a clear effort to increase those numbers."

The policy and accompanying guide emphasize home-based work, although they also provide for working at telework centers or other approved sites.

Employees and their supervisors must sign a telework agreement that outlines the work schedule and addresses security and equipment issues. It also records the telecommuter’s anticipated reduction in commuting miles.

"We see it very much as a recruitment tool in retention of employees," the spokeswoman said. "It’s a very clear demonstration to the services that we are committed to increasing telework, a very important initiative in the defense department."

Managers are now identifying positions that lend themselves to telecommuting and offering employees in them the option of working from home or at a telework center.

Pentagon officials said the need to find alternatives for workers displaced, grieving or coping due to the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks drew attention to the measure.

"The effect of Sept. 11 was that the advantage of telework became much more evident," they explained.

According to the Office of Personnel Management, 2.6 percent of the 1.7 million civilian federal employees telecommute at least once a week.