The plan to bring federal employees back to office-based work follows two years in which large numbers of US federal government employees have adopted teleworking to reduce the spread of COVID-19. This Fact Sheet explains how these laws provide rights that can help protect you at work during the COVID-19 pandemic. Today, most teleworkers still do not work remotely full-time, with a large majority only working from home a handful of days per month. With employers moving to get employees back into the workplace, the aim of avoiding Covid-19 infection is turning into avoiding litigation from return-to-work conflicts, says Jessica Federico, a labor and employment attorney with Ballard Spahr. Telework and other workplace flexibilities have been cited as critical drivers for increasing access to high-quality applicants and geographically dispersed individuals who might not otherwise have access to specific industries or career possibilities. ", First published on January 31, 2023 / 8:23 PM. Federal employees, like Americans nationwide, have demonstrated their resiliency time and again during the COVID-19 pandemic. You need time off for COVID-19 vaccination. HR & Safety. Our Budget Glossary Can Help. What extension are we talking about? How digital healthcare was used in the pandemic and its role in the future He joined Global Government Forum as its Senior Staff Writer and Community Co-ordinator in 2021. However, the first 10 days of their FMLA leave may be unpaid. US president Joe Biden has set out his administrations plan for federal employees to return to workplaces as part of an effort to widen the number of in-person public services available through agencies. - Why sustainability will be a key driver going forward for government procurement and how organisations can use it to make smarter decisions Right from hygiene maintenance to COVID-19 health insurance . Advocates for federal workers and scholars have warned of a looming retirement bubble among federal workers, which could burst if the feds scale back telework. may not be reproduced without express written consent from Mathew B. Tully, Esq.. 2023 FedSmith Inc. All rights reserved. Join this webinar to find out: How Safety is a Top Priority When Employees Return to Work After COVID. However, that wasn't the same sentiment from some employees, based on more recent research. Chairman of the Committee, Rep. James Comer (R-KY), further clarified his stance on the bill in a press release, stating, For years, Americans have suffered from the federal governments detrimental pandemic-era telework policies for federal bureaucrats. Agencies also faced initial challenges including IT equipment shortages, lack of training, and limited network capacity. Because of our progress combatting the pandemic, we can safely increase in-person work, while continuing to protect your health and safety.. To find out more about the IT challenges federal agencies faced, check out our podcast with GAOs Jennifer Franks. A risk-based, phased approach will be used to safely return employees to DOE facilities. Data mine: how can government get better at sharing information, Keeping services solvent: how government can build a resilient public sector supply chain. Pence won't commit to supporting Trump if he's the nominee, Sen. Dianne Feinstein away from Washington due to "health matter", Liz Cheney joins University of Virginia as professor. While this wouldnt eliminate an agencys ability to grant teleworking capabilities, it would only allow them to expand them again should the agency prove it would have a demonstrably positive effect on work performance. What options do they have? The White House on Thursday lifted a cap on employees working in federal buildings and directed agencies to prepare plans to allow employees to return to work in-person. Image: Ira Lichi/Shutterstock.com, Like this article? b. President Bidens unnecessary expansion of telework crippled the ability of departments and agencies to fulfill their responsibilities and created cumbersome backlogs, Comer said in a press statement. As a part of these goals, many agencies are keen on offering teleworking/hybrid options for their employees since it is a great way to recruit and retain top talent. Mathew B. Tully is a founding partner of Tully Rinckey PLLC. Should they wish to do so, employees can engage with their telework coordinator to fully understand the policies and procedures that apply to them. White House, National Strategy for the COVID-19 Response and Pandemic Preparedness, January 2021 As agencies consider the transition to this new work environment, OPM offers the following core principles, which have been developed through extensive stakeholder engagement: Promote a flexible and agile workforce, Empower agency decision-making, Strengthen diversity, equity, inclusion, and accessibility in our workforce and Consider our communities. Federal agencies have been preparing for the Future of Work for many years, driven by changing missions, increased talent demands, and evolving technology. Insight by Ciena and AT&T: Mission requirements to get speed and high bandwidth to users far and wide is leading agencies to adopt 5G, low-earth satellite and other emerging agile network technologies. complete any vaccination dose or booster shot, and return to work. The distinction between what is considered sustainable when it comes to working remotely and in-office is becoming hazier, though, as a result of the enhanced capabilities of mobile devices. The CDC issued new guidance July 22 that employees can return to work and resume other normal activities after getting the virus provided they meet each of these criteria: What has federal employee telework looked like so far? Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the newly-renamed House Oversight and Accountability Committee, introduced the bill on Jan. Rep. James Comer (R-Ky.), the chairman of the newly-renamed House Oversight and Accountability Committee, introduced the bill on Jan. 11. Reuters Daily Briefing All the news you need to start your day. Related actions may include increasing the number of telework days for eligible employees and assessing agencies physical office space and workforce needs. Recent legislation proposed by House Republicans has reignited the debate about teleworkings role in the federal workforce. Not all-encompassing, but some of the more noteworthy highlights include a lower overhead cost, higher employee satisfaction through work-life balance shifts, and having emergency plans in place should the worst happen. Sign up to Global Government Forums email news notifications to receive the latest updates in your inbox. Updated: 28 Feb 2023, 06:58 PM IST HT Brand Studio. All 24 agencies reported a substantial increase in the use of telework. For example, Comer, along with Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-N.C.), raised concerns about telework particularly at the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission last year. For the past several months, OPM has been consulting with stakeholders from within and outside of Government on post-reentry personnel policies and the work environment. 07.23.2020. Are There Any Options to Continue Teleworking if Asked to Return to the Office? With about a month until public service return-tooffice mandates are to be implemented, a number of departments within the federal government are updating their COVID guidelines, some of them dropping requirements to wear masks and practise . Cybersecurity breaches risk impacting vital public services, particularly as governments adopt hybrid work models which can leave their networks more fragmented and less secure. As interest in getting Covid shots wanes in the . Comer pointed to delays in, for example, assistance to veterans, tax refunds and passport applications, as ways that telework has negatively impacted federal services. Teleworking and hybrid options have played a critical role in this, as when compared with non-teleworkers, teleworkers show consistently higher scores on performance management indicators. USDA is using the phrase "return to the physical workplace." As you know, we pushed back the phased return to the workplace, originally set to start on Oct. 1, given the evolving COVID landscape. Join this session to find out: Specifically, the Stopping Home Office Works Unproductive Problems Act, also referred to as SHOW UP, would mandate that all federal agencies return to their pre-pandemic office configurations, effectively lowering the number of telework alternatives currently available to federal employees. FEMA has drafted a playbook for establishing these sites, which will allow it to respond quickly to state requests alongside the US Health and Human Services (HHS) and defence departments. For state and local governments, the new normal of the COVID-19 return-to-work era will last into the indefinite future. For example, some federal agencies reported that during the pandemic, telework hours comprised more than 80% of total work time. A .gov website belongs to an official government Aug. 10, 2021, 1:00 AM. The House has passed legislation that would slash telework benefits for federal employees. Federal laws protect you against employment discrimination. We highlight key labor considerations and changes, from updated federal guidance to developing legal standards, in light of the recent surge of COVID-19 cases, which has caused states and municipalities to renew restrictions, while employers expand vaccine mandates and reconsider return-to-office plans. The lawmakers wrote to EEOC Chairwoman Charlotte Burrows, calling for a full return-to-office and saying that large-scale telework meant the agency wasnt meeting its obligations to workers. Sign up to receive more, AFGE Asks Congress to Reject Hiring Restrictions at DoD to Save Cost, Primer: Early out, buyout, reduction in force (RIF), OPM, Heal Thyself, GAO Says on Skills Gaps Effort, Report Identifies Key Elements of Innovation in Government, Report Calls on VA to Better Document Onboarding of New Employees, Workforce Shortage Contributing to Missed Deadlines at EPA, Report Says, Pregnant Workers Fairness Act Coverage to Begin in June, OPM Issues Update on Actions under DEIA Initiative for Federal Workforce. Required fields are marked *. Read more: Top teleworking tips: OPM shares performance management advice for hybrid-working US federal government. The strategy is outlined in the governments recently published National COVID-19 Preparedness Plan. View all Growth & Sustainable Development, View all Procurement and Finance Collaboration, Transparency, Accountability & Collaboration, View all Public Service Leadership & Management, Top teleworking tips: OPM shares performance management advice for hybrid-working US federal government, True transformation requires leadership from the top: reaction to Bidens federal services reform plan, Biden sent a thank you letter to federal employees, US feds COVID-19 vaccination rate up amid discipline for non-compliance, restarting plans to return public servants to offices. President Biden hinted at details of his strategy to expand the range of federal services again offered face to face in his State of the Union speech last week. While the conversations surrounding . Future Outlook All rights reserved. The Veterans Affairs Department and Indian Health Service will also be enabled to vaccinate their constituents directly going forward. 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All Rights Reserved. He also called on. Subscribe to our free email list to get our news updates in your inbox. This has allowed federal agencies and employees to continue their missions, maintain operations, and serve the public during this crisis. (This includes the Reuters Weekend. The GSA signed just a single lease in the fourth quarter, a pittance compared to a number of blockbuster new deals and renewals in 2021. Additionally, agencies continue to recognize the benefits of positive employee sentiment to operational success and, as such, have cited the improvement of employee attitudes as one of the most commonly identified goal-setting areas. The plan to bring federal employees back to office-based work follows two years in which large numbers of US federal government employees have adopted teleworking to reduce the spread of COVID-19. Different plans for different federal departments That memo prompted managers to start ramping up plans for employees to start to return to government offices after Labour Day and contacting. 5 min read . Todays guidance notes that agencies COVID-19 workplace safety plans remain in effect and should be updated as needed to align with current guidance. Copyright 2023 CBS Interactive Inc. All rights reserved. The current legislation, titled the "SHOW UP Act," would order federal executive branch agencies " reinstate and apply the telework policies, practices, and levels of the agency as in effect on December 31, 2019." Five federal agencies have received direct allocations of doses to vaccinate their employees . What Implications Would This Have on the Federal Workforce? The Safer Federal Workforce Task force, along with the CDC, is developing guidance regarding a testing plan for Federal workers. Agencies initially experienced challenges replicating the office environment. This webinar will look at the best practice in data sharing hat the UK government could embrace, and how organisations have overcome issues around technology and organisational culture that can hinder collaboration. Want to stay up to date with the latest federal news and information from all your devices? Finalize their reentry and post-reentry planning. We understand the impacts COVID-19 has caused and have a responsibility to look out for the livelihoods and safety of our personnel, many of whom rely on us and have been out of work for weeks due to the impacts of shelter-in-place orders. In response to the Trump administration's guidance for actively resuming government operations, AFGE issued six preconditions that must be met before any reopening can occur. Politico reports that the city has the highest work-from-home rate in the nation, and the Wall Street Journal notes that Washington's office vacancy rate is now roughly 20 percent, a record.. Federal agency leaders also face strained budgets and a substantial work backlog as well as continuing responsibility to help manage the profound humanitarian toll that COVID-19 has taken. m. If, due to . Now countries have reopened, []. In our new report, weve also suggested that Congress consider requiring OPM to develop a plan, consistent with our recommendations, to improve its reporting of federal telework data. As more employees return to the workplace, business leaders are being confronted with a new set of . Office occupancy in D.C. dropped 1.2 million square feet in 2022, with 20.5 percent vacancy overall, CBRE found. General Information Cleaning and Disinfection Cloth Face Coverings Construction Employer Requirements Liability Waivers Posting the OSHA 300A or Equivalent Form Respirators and Particle Size Reporting Restrooms and Handwashing Facilities Retaliation Return to Work Testing for COVID-19 Training Vaccine Related Worker Protection Concerns He said both individuals and businesses could be impacted by a strike. Being said, with Democrats in control of the Senate and President Biden having also echoed his support for teleworking flexibilities with regard to continued monitoring of COVID-19, it is expected that this bill is unlikely to be enacted. Should they wish to do so, employees can engage with their telework coordinator to fully understand the policies and procedures that apply to them. Early in the pandemic, the Federal Government quickly went from 3 percent of employees teleworking every day to nearly 60 percent, as shown in the 2020 Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey (FEVS). EEOC has by this point returned many of its employees to the office, at least a couple days per week, to interact with members of the public who come in person for assistance. The introduction of the SHOW UP Act, however, does imply that returning federal employees to the office is a priority for House Republicans on the Oversight Committee. A lock ( According to leaders on the Oversight Committee, the expansion of telework during the pandemic led to massive backlogs and delays at agencies such as the IRS, the Department of Veterans Affairs and the State Department. However, with the increased capabilities of mobile devices, the lines between what is considered sustainable when it comes to working remotely and in-office are becoming more and more blurred. Stay tuned! To establish a COVID-19 claim, you simply need to establish: You were diagnosed with COVID-19 via a positive test result ( excluding home tests) or medical professional 1; and Within 21 days of your diagnosis of COVID-19, you carried out duties that required contact with patients, members of the public, or co-workers 1. Work From Home Research found about 13% of employees were fully remote in January, while 28% were in hybrid arrangements. Chairman of the Committee, Rep. James Comer (R-KY), further clarified his stance on the bill in a press release, stating, For years, Americans have suffered from the federal governments detrimental pandemic-era telework policies for federal bureaucrats. OMB M-21-25, Integrating Planning for A Safe Increased Return of Federal Employees and Contractors to Physical Workplaces with Post-Reentry Personnel Policies and Work Environment, June 10, 2021. Valencia McIntyre-Dubose, a benefits processor for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs for 23 years and a union representative for VA employees with the American Federation of Government Employees, said telework has made her more efficient and helped her better serve veterans. Copyright 2023 Hubbard Radio Washington DC, LLC. The White House has meanwhile requested US$22.5bn in funding from Congress to finance test, treatments and vaccines, as well as investments in research and development of next-generation vaccines, and responding globally, including getting more shots in arms around the world. An IRS watchdog, though, said in a Jan. 11 report to Congress that the IRS has already made significant progress in digging out from its backlog of unprocessed tax returns in 2022. Today, we can share that the senior leadership cadre (Appointees, SES, SL, ST, SSTS and Senior Foreign Service Officers) will begin to return to the physical workplace on Dec. 1, 2021 ; other USDA employees are . When you try to call a federal employee, and all you get is a recorded response from a cell phone, you know theyre out at Walmart, or Home Depot. This list of more than 300 Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) covers the Affordable Care Act's health insurance Marketplace (aka exchange), individual mandate, open enrollment, premiums and more. COVID-19 Workforce Information. Rep. Jamie Raskin of Maryland, the ranking Democrat on the House Oversight Committee, said telework is increasingly being utilized by the private sector to help recruit employees and make operations more efficient. And throughout all these changes, agencies continued to deliver on their missions. Together, our agencies the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) and the General Services Administration (GSA) have been leading and supporting a government-wide effort consistent with the Presidents clear expectation that the Federal Government serve as a model employer. Under the FFCRA, employees of covered employers can receive up to 12 weeks of paid leave if they are caring for a child who is staying at home because their school has been closed during the COVID-19 outbreak. Federal employees who transitioned to full-time or partial telework at the start of the pandemic were able to support the mission and day-to-day operations of their agencies, develop and implement policies, manage relief programs, and continue to deliver results for all Americans. When a federal employee is required to be vaccinated, the time the employee spends obtaining any authorized COVID-19 vaccination (including travel time) is duty time; thus, there is no need for the employee to take administrative leave for such time during the employee's basic tour of duty. Stopping Home Office Works Unproductive Problems Act, saving the federal government an estimated $180 million in 2020, GAO: VA Hired Hundreds Of Employees With Drug-Related Criminal History, Variations on Poor Leadership Driving Discontent in the Federal Workplace, Bill Cutting Federal Employees' Telework Benefits Passes House, Do I Have to Return to the Office? Agencies such as the National Institutes of Health, the Food and Drug Administration, along with the Department of Defense, will continue to assist in developing and manufacturing vaccines to meet the countrys target output of one billion doses annually. Additionally, a telework coordinator can assist you in creating a business-based proposal that you can present to your supervisor, provided you are qualified under the provisions of the policy and have complied with the correct processes. Among safety interventions, improved air filtration was a core request, with 62 percent of respondents reporting that it could decrease the stress they experienced from returning on-site. The Stopping Home Office Works Unproductive Problems or SHOW UP Act would require all federal agencies to return to their pre-pandemic office arrangements, in effect largely reducing the current amount of telework options for federal employees. The agency should allow employees to continue teleworking to the maximum extent possible even after the Covid-19 pandemic abates, said Ralph de Juliis, president of Council 220 of the American Federation of Government Employees. Obviously, since the pandemic occurred, we have seen firsthand the benefits that offering federal employees the ability to work from home has had, saving the federal government an estimated $180 million in 2020 due to fewer travel expenses and lower costs in utilities and office expenses. Telework can encourage better performance and work efficiency by letting people work in environments that are most conducive to their needs. Legislation in Congress would cut federal employees telework benefits. Employers can use this guidance to develop policies and procedures to ensure the safety and health of their employees. She can be reached at info@tullylegal.com or at (888)-529-4543. Like this story? Digital ID: US government poised for national rollout, while Australia finds its North Star to harmonise standards, Ukraine: 12 months at war Biden visit to Kyiv sets the seal on a year of growing western unity and Russianisolation, US publishes inaugural report on diversity in federal government, UK cabinet secretary sets out five tests for civil service effectiveness. Certainly, if you're a federal employee, the standard ought to be higher.". Trying to Understand the Presidents Budget Proposal? Our civil servants perform essential work on behalf of Americansfrom delivering tax return checks to processing small business grants. When taken in the first 5-7 days of symptoms, they can prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death. Symptoms, they can prevent serious illness, hospitalization and death, lack of,... Hybrid arrangements total work time agencies also faced initial challenges including IT equipment shortages, lack training... 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