By Lauren C. Williams Apr 06, 2021 When the pandemic hit, some Defense Department component agencies got off to a rocky start moving their staff and workloads to maximum telework, according to a new report from the DOD inspector general. In the IG’s survey of nearly 55,000 DOD workers during the early days and months of the pandemic, teleworkers reported issues with spotty network connectivity to DOD component networks, slow network speeds and software malfunctions as the department pivoted to maximum telework. Some teleworkers (about 14%) struggled to get necessary government-furnished equipment, such as printers, Wi-Fi hotspots or the tools needed for off-site classified work.