New guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) will give federal agencies new standards for telework and remote work arrangements.
According to the new guidance that now features an entire section about remote working, teleworking employees will be expected to be in the office for some of the time during each pay period except in case of emergencies.
However, employees will not be expected to regularly come into the office and can live at a distance from their agency’s worksite.
The guidance suggests that providing remote work opportunities can help agencies attract and retain employees who either cannot live close to their worksite, or those who have disabilities that prevent them from having fair opportunities.
“The COVID-19 pandemic underscores how vital telework is for any workforce to continue mission-critical services and adapt to a changing labor market,” said Kiran Ahuja, Director at OPM. “As the largest employer in the nation, the federal government has an opportunity to lead by example on this.”
OPM’s guidance also encourages agencies to focus on creating well-thought-out plans around their new policies and provide workers with the tools and resources to make telework more reliable and secure.
