All articles tagged with #telework
The CDC is bypassing traditional processes to grant temporary telework accommodations for employees with disabilities due to new HHS policies that restrict such accommodations, leading to concerns about legal compliance and employee rights, especially amid a backlog of cases and staff reductions.
CDC staff are anxious about returning to work after a fatal shooting at their Atlanta campus, which caused extensive damage and heightened safety concerns amid ongoing organizational and budget challenges. The agency has extended telework for a week and is awaiting further guidance from new CDC Director Susan Monarez.
The Office of Personnel Management recommends telework and flexible work arrangements for D.C.-area federal employees due to traffic disruptions caused by the upcoming military parade celebrating the Army's 250th anniversary, which is expected to significantly impact commute times and traffic in the region.
The Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, is focusing on reducing government spending by targeting telework policies and IT modernization. They propose tying telework eligibility to performance, relocating federal employees from Washington, D.C., and selling underutilized office buildings. The DOGE initiative, supported by a new Senate caucus, aims to improve government efficiency through executive actions and potential legislation, such as the proposed "DOGE Act" to freeze federal hiring and establish a merit-based salary system.
The Senate DOGE caucus, led by Sen. Joni Ernst, is focusing on limiting telework and reforming government office use in its first meeting. Ernst's report suggests relocating federal employees, consolidating office space, and increasing transparency in government operations. The caucus aligns with the broader DOGE mission, led by Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, to reduce federal government size, though its authority is unclear. Congressional Republicans are generally supportive, but the proposals may face challenges in implementation.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is defending a new rule to prevent the return of Schedule F, a Trump-era policy that made it easier to fire career federal employees in policymaking positions. Acting OPM Director Rob Shriver argued that Schedule F would undermine civil service protections and deter qualified individuals from joining the federal workforce. Democrats are pushing to codify the rule into law, while Republicans argue that Schedule F would prevent federal employees from undermining administration policies. Additionally, OPM is supporting telework amid a push for federal employees to return to the office, noting that federal workers are returning faster than the private sector.
Senators James Lankford and Kyrsten Sinema have introduced the Telework Reform Act, which aims to establish definitions for telework and remote work for federal employees and promote management, accountability, and transparency. The bill would require teleworking federal employees to report to the office at least twice per two-week pay period and mandate agencies to report to Congress on the potential value, cost savings, and productivity outcomes of increased remote work. It also emphasizes the role of data in federal telework and requires agencies to offer training on reporting and eligibility requirements. The legislation would set annual renewal requirements for telework agreements and expand remote job opportunities for military and law enforcement spouses. The bill differs from previous legislation that aimed to scale back telework opportunities.
Workers at San Francisco's Federal Building on 7th and Mission streets have been advised to work from home due to safety concerns over crime. The Department of Health and Human Services issued a memo calling for employees to maximize telework, and former House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has expressed safety concerns for her staff. The area around the building has a history of drug use and sales, and the ongoing fentanyl crisis has prompted increased law enforcement presence. The crime and drug problems have impacted retail corridors, leading to closures and declining sales. Despite this, IKEA has announced plans to open its first San Francisco store in the Mid-Market corridor.
Studies show that remote and hybrid employees tend to work longer hours than their office-bound counterparts, with a 10% boost in weekly hours reported among remote workers. The increase in productivity can be attributed to factors such as reduced commuting time and the motivation to maintain the privilege of working from home. While concerns about some employees doing too little work or engaging in remote work moonlighting exist, the majority of remote workers have proven to be responsible and productive. Remote work has reshaped the American workplace, with nearly 30% of work happening at home in the first half of 2022. However, collaborative work may be more challenging in a remote setting, leading to a shift towards asynchronous communication. Overall, remote work has become a highly preferred employment perk, with only a small percentage of workers desiring to work on-site every day.
Canada has reached a deal with 120,000 striking federal workers, ending one of the largest public-sector work stoppages in the country's history. However, 35,000 employees at the Canada Revenue Agency remain on strike, demanding better pay and telework flexibility. The Public Service Alliance of Canada union said it had secured a 12.6% wage increase over the four-year contract period and new protections for teleworking. The remaining striking workers are seeking language in their collective agreement to allow for telework arrangements, pay that addresses cost of living and inflationary pressures, and more job safety provisions.
The Biden administration has instructed federal agencies to increase "meaningful" in-person work and return more employees to the office while continuing to allow telework when it does not hurt the agency's mission. The move comes amid heavy criticism from Republicans and D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, who have urged the president to return federal workers to the office. However, federal unions have pressed to keep teleworking guarantees because most D.C. workers with remote access prefer to continue working from home. The new directive leaves agencies with wiggle room to continue letting their staffs work from home, but it also hints that productivity from teleworking staffs is now a priority.
The White House has issued new guidance to federal agencies on their return-to-office and telework policies, calling on them to strike a balance between adding in-person work where necessary, while still maintaining telework flexibilities. Agencies are expected to increase “meaningful” in-person work at federal offices, especially at headquarters offices, while continuing to use more flexible policies on employees’ work locations and maintaining telework arrangements where they make sense. The guidance comes one year after agencies started executing office re-entry plans last spring and just days after President Joe Biden signed a Republican-backed congressional resolution to end the COVID-19 national emergency.
The number of American employees working from home has dropped significantly in 2022, with only 16% of establishments reporting some telework compared to 30% in 2021. The percentage of employers reporting that all of their employees were teleworking did not see significant change in 2022. The highest number of remote jobs were found in college towns, government centers, and technology hubs, while workplaces in the South were less likely to offer remote work.
During a budget hearing at the Senate Finance Committee, Health and Human Services Secretary Xavier Becerra refused to answer questions about what percentage of his workforce is still teleworking. Sen. Bill Cassidy repeatedly asked Becerra how many HHS employees are still working from home, but received no direct response. Cassidy also pressed Becerra on whether HHS has VPN data from employees’ computers that show they are working from home, but also got no answer.