Telework

(a)

In general

Part III of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after chapter 63 the following:

Telework

Sec.

6501. Definitions.

6502. Governmentwide telework requirement.

6503. Implementation.

6504. Telework Managing Officer.

6505. Evaluating telework in agencies.

6506. Continuity of operations.

6501.

Definitions

For purposes of this chapter— (1)the term agency means an Executive agency (as defined by section 105), except as provided in section 6506(c); (2)the term telework or teleworking refers to a work arrangement under which an employee regularly performs the duties and responsibilities of such employee’s position, and other authorized activities, from home or another worksite removed from the employee’s regular place of employment; and (3)the term continuity of operations refers to an effort within individual executive departments and agencies to ensure that primary mission essential functions continue to be performed during a wide range of emergencies, including localized acts of nature, accidents, public health emergencies, and technological or attack-related emergencies.

6502.

Governmentwide telework requirement

(a)

Telework requirement

(1)

In general

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this chapter, the head of each agency shall establish a policy under which employees shall be authorized to telework, subject to paragraph (2) and subsection (b). (2)

Regulations

The policy of each agency under this subsection— (A)shall be in conformance with regulations which the Administrator of General Services shall, within 120 days after the date of the enactment of this chapter and in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management, prescribe for purposes of this subsection; and (B)shall ensure that employees are authorized to telework— (i)to the maximum extent possible; and (ii)without diminishing employee performance or agency operations. (b)

Treatment of certain circumstances

Nothing in subsection (a) shall be considered— (1)to require the head of an agency to authorize teleworking in the case of an employee whose duties and responsibilities— (A)require daily access to classified information; (B)require daily face-to-face contact with members of the public or other persons, or the use of equipment, at the employee’s regular place of employment; or (C)are such that their performance from a site removed from the employee’s regular place of employment is not feasible; or (2)to prevent the temporary denial of permission for an employee to telework if, in the judgment of the agency head— (A)the employee is needed to respond to an emergency; (B)the employee requires additional training; or (C)the denial is necessary, for a specific or ascertainable period of time, to achieve goals and objectives of programs administered by the agency. (c)

Rule of construction

Nothing in this chapter shall— (1)be considered to require any employee to telework; or (2)prevent an agency from permitting an employee to telework as part of a continuity of operations plan.

6503.

Implementation

In order to carry out the purposes of this chapter— (1)the head of each agency shall ensure that— (A)appropriate training is provided to supervisors and managers and to all employees who are authorized to telework; and (B)no distinction is made between teleworkers and nonteleworkers for purposes of performance appraisals; (2)the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Office of Personnel Management, shall provide advice, assistance, and, to the extent necessary, training to agencies, including with respect to— (A)questions of eligibility to telework, including considerations relating to employee performance; and (B)making telework part of the agency’s goals, including those of individual supervisors and managers; (3)the General Services Administration, in coordination with the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall prescribe regulations, within 120 days after the date of the enactment of this chapter, to ensure the adequacy of information and security protections for information and information systems used in, or otherwise affected by, teleworking; such regulations shall be consistent with information security policies and guidance issued by the Office of Management and Budget and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, and shall, at a minimum, include requirements necessary— (A)to control access to agency information and information systems; (B)to protect agency information (including personally identifiable information) and information systems; (C)to limit the introduction of vulnerabilities; (D)to protect information systems not under the control of the agency that are used for teleworking; and (E)to safeguard the use of wireless and other telecommunications capabilities used for telework purposes; and (4)the General Services Administration shall— (A)maintain a central, publicly available telework website to be jointly controlled and funded by the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management; and (B)include on that website any regulations relating to telework and any other information the General Services Administration and the Office of Personnel Management consider appropriate.

6504.

Telework Managing Officer

(a)

Appointment and compensation

(1)

In general

Each agency may appoint an officer to be known as the Telework Managing Officer. If an agency appoints a Telework Managing Officer, such Officer— (A)shall be appointed— (i)by the Chief Human Capital Officer of such agency; or (ii)if none, by the head of such agency; and (B)shall be compensated at a rate not less than the minimum rate of basic pay for grade GS–15 of the General Schedule. (2)

Waiver

The Administrator of General Services may waive the minimum rate requirement under paragraph (1)(B) with respect to an agency if such agency has fewer than 100 employees (determined on a full-time equivalent basis) and the head of such agency certifies that being required to comply with paragraph (1)(B) would adversely impact agency operations. (b)

Limitations

An individual may not hold the position of Telework Managing Officer as a noncareer appointee (as defined in section 3132(a)(7)), and such position may not be considered or determined to be of a confidential, policy-determining, policy-making, or policy-advocating character. (c)

Duties and responsibilities

The duties and responsibilities of the Telework Managing Officer of an agency shall be as follows: (1)Serving as— (A)an advisor on teleworking to the head of such agency and to the Chief Human Capital Officer of such agency (if any); (B)a resource on teleworking for supervisors, managers, and employees of such agency; and (C)the agency’s primary point of contact on teleworking matters for employees of such agency, Congress, and other agencies. (2)Ensuring that the agency’s teleworking policy is communicated effectively to employees. (3)Ensuring that electronic or written notification is provided to each employee of specific telework programs and the agency’s teleworking policy, including authorization criteria and application procedures. (4)Developing and administering a tracking system for compliance with Governmentwide telework reporting requirements. (5)Providing to the Comptroller General and to the Administrator of General Services such information as the Comptroller General may require to prepare the annual reports under section 6505(b). (6)Establishing a system for receiving feedback from agency employees on the agency’s telework policy. (7)Developing and implementing a program to identify and remove barriers to telework and to maximize telework opportunities in the agency. (8)Ensuring that employees are notified of grievance procedures available to them (if any) with respect to any disputes that relate to telework. (9)Performing such other duties and responsibilities relating to telework as the head of the agency may require. (d)

Alternative to Telework Managing Officer

If no Telework Managing Officer is appointed under subsection (a) with respect to an agency, the duties and responsibilities of a Telework Managing Officer shall be carried out by the Chief Human Capital Officer of, or a career employee in, such agency, as determined by the agency head.

6505.

Evaluating telework in agencies

(a)

In general

The Comptroller General shall establish a system for evaluating— (1)the telework policy of each agency; and (2)employee participation in telework programs at each agency. (b)

Annual report

The Comptroller General shall, based on the system established under subsection (a), submit an annual report to the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform of the House of Representatives and the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs of the Senate. Each report under this subsection shall, with respect to the period covered by such report— (1)evaluate the telework policy of each agency; (2)for each agency, indicate the total number of employees in such agency and identify— (A)the number and percentage of employees who were eligible to telework; (B)the number and percentage of employees who teleworked an average of at least once a week on a regular basis, determined based on time spent actually teleworking; (C)the number and percentage of employees who teleworked an average of at least 20 percent of the hours that they worked in every 2 administrative workweeks, determined based on time spent actually teleworking; (D)the number and percentage of employees who teleworked at least once a month on a regular basis, determined based on time spent actually teleworking; (E)the number and percentage of employees who were not authorized to telework and the reasons why they were not so authorized; (F)the number and percentage of employees who were authorized to telework and then later stopped teleworking, the reasons why those employees stopped teleworking, and whether their stopping was voluntary or due to other factors, such as office coverage needs or productivity; (G)the extent to which barriers to maximizing teleworking opportunities have been identified and eliminated; (H)the impact (if any) of the agency’s telework policy on the recruitment and retention of employees; (I)the impact (if any) of the agency’s telework policy on the performance of agency employees; and (J)the level of employee satisfaction with the agency’s telework policy, determined based on employee feedback; (3)evaluate the compliance of each agency with the requirements of this chapter; and (4)identify best practices in agency telework programs.

A report under this subsection shall be submitted for the year in which the regulations under section 6502(a)(2)(A) take effect and for each of the 4 succeeding years. Each such report shall be submitted within 6 months after the end of the year to which it relates.

(c)

Minimum requirement for compliance

For purposes of subsection (b)(3), an agency shall not be considered to be in compliance with the requirements of this chapter unless the employees of such agency who were authorized to telework were permitted to telework for at least 20 percent of the hours that they worked in every 2 administrative workweeks (disregarding any workweeks for which such employees did not submit a request or for which they were otherwise ineligible to telework).

6506.

Continuity of operations

(a)

In general

The head of each agency shall ensure that— (1)to the maximum extent practicable, telework is incorporated into the continuity of operations planning of such agency; and (2)mission critical personnel, as determined by the head of such agency, are equipped to telework in time of a catastrophe. (b)

Coordination rule

The continuity of operations plan of an agency shall supersede any telework policy of such agency to the extent that they are inconsistent with one another. (c)

Agency defined

For purposes of carrying out subsection (a)(2), the term agency means an agency named in paragraph (1) or (2) of section 901(b) of title 31.

(b)

Technical and conforming amendments

(1)The analysis for part III of title 5, United States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relating to chapter 63 the following:

65.

Telework

6501

(2)Section 622 of the Departments of Commerce, Justice, and State, the Judiciary, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2005, as contained in the Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2005 (5 U.S.C. 6120 note) is amended by striking designate a Telework Coordinator to be and inserting appoint a Telework Managing Officer or designate the Chief Human Capital Officer or other career employee to be.