TOPICS
TOPICS
Lawmakers gain prominence with federal employee issues
They are -- starting with the most senior in the congressional pecking order -- a former ironworker from Massachusetts with a family chock-full of U.S. Postal Service employees, a lawyer from Baltimore with a penchant for pinstriped suits and a family tradition of public service, and a jocular management and foreign affairs expert from Virginia who worked his way up from president of his local citizens association to a seat in the House. Though they followed very different paths to Capitol Hill, Reps. Stephen Lynch, D-Mass.; John Sarbanes, D-Md.; and Gerry Connolly, D-Va.; are working together and in parallel on a range of issues that matter to the federal workforce.
They have held hearings on telework, workplace diversity, work-life balance and technology; written legislation aimed at making the federal government a more competitive employer; and extolled the nobility of public service. And they are making the case that federal employees need more resources as they tackle additional responsibilities related to the financial crisis and face the prospect of a large government role in health care and environmental reforms.
The new presidential administration and Democratic majority in Congress have given the three a perch from which to push their federal employee-friendly agenda. Lynch became chairman of the House Oversight and Government Reform Subcommittee on the Federal Workforce in January, after Rep. Danny K. Davis, D-Ill., was assigned to the House Ways and Means Committee. Sarbanes has been agitating for telework reform since arriving in the House in 2007, only to see the issue - and his profile on workforce initiatives - elevated by the Obama administration. And as president of the freshman class of lawmakers and a member of Lynch's subcommittee, Connolly, elected in 2008 to fill the seat vacated when Republican Tom Davis retired, finally has an opportunity to pursue issues he worked on at the local level in Northern Virginia for almost two decades.
"I didn't come here to do the trivial," Connolly says. "I came here to continue a long tradition of activist legislating. I was a real bottom-line, can-do chairman of one of the biggest counties in the country, and I bring that work ethos here. I want to get things done."
That goes for all three.
In the Aug. 1 issue of Government Executive, Alyssa Rosenberg examines the changing roles these lawmakers are playing. Click here to read the full story.
COMMENTS
- Will teleworking still be on the books ten years from now? If so, then I guess the government is not too worried about saving money...because a lot of money could have been saved in rental space alone during the last ten years. What about cutting down on the air polution in the larger cities from vehicles, spreading germs in a work invironment, happier and less stressful employees, etc. The pros certainly out weight the cons regarding teleworking so what is the hold-up? I for one am fortunate that my manager allows our group to telework, which our manager finds the group to be more productive and less stressful. I feel better rested because I don't have to fight the heavy city traffic and long commutes. Our agency has a telework program but...there are other employees with the same grade and job series in our branch that don't have the same option because of trust issues and/or management just does not want to have to deal with employees teleworking. It's not fair that they have a manager that refuses to let their employees telework when they see others are allowed to do it. Whether your working at the office or teleworking, you would counsel your employee the same so why would it be any different if you worked at home. As far as trust, I agree with another comment I read, "If you have to see the employee to trust them, you need new employees". If the employee is not doing their work, abusing their time, leaving their POD, etc. then reprimand that employee but don't make the other employees suffer. The bottom line is Congress and/or the President need to enforce all Federal Agencies to start a telework program, and if the agency has one already established, then let the employees start working from home. There are a lot of job series within the government that can work from home so make it happen and quit talking about it. There are more important issues the hill needs to discuss!!! Anonymous Posted September 1, 2009 9:00 AM
- Why don't these lawmakers quit talking about telework for federal employees and do something about it!! I am a federal employee who worked at home for 7 years until my agency just decided one day that I couldn't do it anymore. It was a devastating blow because working at home was extremely productive, and a huge stress reliever. My agency saw how productive employees were teleworking. I am sick of all the talk, talk, talk about this. The bottom line is, most federal employees could, if the right procedures are put in place, work at home. It is very productive, so quit talking about it and do it. Anonymous Posted August 18, 2009 5:21 PM
- Has the initiative to reimburse FERS employees at retirement for unused Sick Leave gained any traction. Harvey L. Player Posted August 18, 2009 3:55 PM
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