GovernmentExecutive.com

Advocates of work-from-home policies in government found new congressional support last week when two senators introduced legislation that would make most federal employees eligible for telework by default.

The bill, introduced by Sens. Ted Stevens, R-Alaska, and Mary Landrieu, D-La., would reverse a law that makes federal employees ineligible to telework unless their agencies decide otherwise. The legislation would require agencies to show that an employee's job is inappropriate for work away from the office in order to prevent the practice. It would not apply to employees whose jobs involve sensitive materials, national security or physical contact with equipment.

In a statement, Stevens and Landrieu said the legislation was introduced because it would enhance efficiency, reduce traffic congestion and improve the lives of federal employees by allowing them to work from home on a full- or part-time basis.

"This bill represents just one small piece of that puzzle," said Stevens, who is the ranking member of the Senate Commerce, Science and Transportation Committee. "By encouraging federal agencies to allow employees to work from home, we will reduce their use of gasoline, save them thousands of dollars in fuel expenses each year and help protect our environment."

The legislation also would require all new employees and managers to take telework training courses. All reviews of job performance would include a discussion of telework feasibility.

In addition, each agency would need to designate a full-time employee as a "Telework Managing Officer" responsible for implementing a telework policy. The official would serve as a liaison between employees and managers as well, and would develop accountability and productivity criteria. The official also would keep employees informed of their telework eligibility.

The bill defines telework as an arrangement where employees work regularly at an alternative site at least two business days a week to reduce their commuting time.

The most recent governmentwide survey of employee teleworkers, released in December 2005, showed that the number working away from the office grew by 37 percent in 2004. Of the 1.8 million employees included in that survey, 752,337 were deemed eligible for telework by their agencies. Of those, nearly 19 percent -- or 140,694 - took advantage of the arrangement.

"This legislation will help American families by giving federal workers the opportunity to continue serving the nation while spending more quality time with their loved ones," Landrieu said. "It is a commonsense proposal, and I will work closely with my colleagues to secure its quick passage."

As chairman of the House Science-State-Justice-Commerce appropriations subcommittee during the last session of Congress, Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., an outspoken supporter of alternative work arrangements, sought to encourage telework by exerting financial pressure on the agencies under his jurisdiction.

Wolf's most recent bill, which failed to pass into law last session, would have required agencies under the panel's jurisdiction to outline strategies to increase the number of workers eligible to telecommute, and would have withheld $5 million in appropriations for fiscal 2007 if the number of telecommuters failed to increase over the previous year.

Wolf's office did not respond to a request for comment on telework-related legislative efforts this Congress.

A study released Monday by the Telework Exchange, an Alexandria, Va., private-public partnership, indicated that interest in telework is increasing, but agencies lack personnel dedicated to implementing it.

According to the study, a majority of federal telework coordinators spend a quarter or less of their time on telework-related work. The study included 36 representatives from 26 civilian and Defense Department agencies.

In January, the Telework Exchange and the Federal Managers Association, a 200,000-member organization representing the interests of supervisors, released a study that showed that federal managers still have reservations about telework. A fear of losing control over employees was the top concern, the study stated.

But compared with the private sector, the government outpaces its counterparts by a 3-1 margin, a recent study from the information technology vendor CDW Government said.

COMMENTS

• I am interested in knowing how the management of various state laws is going to come into play when "Mary" in California wants to telework for a company based out of Missouri. Who is going to track the changes in the laws and make sure that the employer and employee are in compliance? Who is going to write the handbooks to address these various differences from one person to another who all happen to work for the same employer, just in different states? Ann Osten Posted July 14, 2008 9:40 PM
• I have been able to telework except when I have a medical family emergency which I only need to take on occasion if my children both 14 and 16 need to go to a doctor. My office is not around the corner it is an hour train ride and back. I am also not allowed to do a portion of the day 4 or 6 hours at home and take leave and working credit hours before my tour of duty starts. My manager feels that I am not being devoted to my job and she does not like me take an hour or two leave during the day to go to a doctor and teleworking the same day. I feel I am benefiting the agency in keeping up my work and not falling behind. I have a laptop and my work is portable. She does not want me to take home my laptop. unless I have approved flexiplace/telework. I was just out on leave and had to take a full day of sick leave today and tomorrow I need to go to my psychiatrist and dental appointment (cavity) which they would not take me today because they did not have enough of dentists. I had to go to an orthopedic in the afternoon for knee pain that I have been having since I been a vacation three days. I took my laptop at home with me in case of an emergency so I can get in contact, not planned!. I put in a request today for Tuesday and got denied because I have my laptop with me. R. Nabel Posted July 9, 2007 10:56 PM
• Reasons for denial for telework are just basic statements that are based on opinion and not fact. ie... I don't want the files to leave the office. In reality these files actually go out in the field with the employees. Your telework will put a hardship on the other employees. No example of what that hardship is or will be. Can't communicate about leave schedules or planning. Can't supply customer support. Most of customer support is done via the email or phone. This bill doesn't address issues about denial. Robert D. Hillis Posted May 15, 2007 3:30 PM