OPM Congressional Budget Justification and Annual Performance Plan

U.S. Office of Personnel Management

FY 2000
Budget Justification/Performance Plan

(Office of Workforce Relations continued)

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EMPLOYEE AND LABOR RELATIONS

Develop and promote family-friendly programs and personnel flexibilities (e.g., alternative work schedules, leave flexibilities, telecommuting, dependent care services) so that they are available and used appropriately by employees Governmentwide to balance work and family needs successfully. (Continuing) .

OWR Goal 10: FY 1999/2000	Federal agencies have increased understanding of and commitment to addressing work and family needs so that family-friendly programs are available to their employees in increasing numbers.

In its report on OPM’s FY 1999 appropriations bill, Congress instructed OPM to establish a Family-Friendly Workplace Advocacy Office to receive concerns and suggestions regarding agency implementation of family-friendly programs. The Office will incorporate the responsibilities of the current Work and Family Program Center. It will provide information to employees regarding the laws and regulations which govern family-friendly policies as well as avenues of redress available for complaints. It will also assist Federal employees and agencies in resolving problems with family-friendly workplace policies; identify administrative or regulatory obstacles to implementing family-friendly policies and practices; and propose regulatory or legislative changes where needed. In FY 1999, the Office will conduct a nationwide child care summit designed to promote increased quality, affordability, and accessibility of child care facilities throughout the Federal government. At the end of FY 1999, OPM will report to the congressional committee regarding the work of the Office, including recommendations for improvements which may be needed in the family-friendly programs.

		Build and increase the capabilities of the Family-Friendly Workplace Advocacy Office to receive concerns and suggestions regarding agency implementation of family-friendly programs; recommend appropriate legislative changes; and issue the first progress report by the end of FY 2000.
		Provide Governmentwide leadership and guidance on work and family programs through presentations to stakeholders--unions, managers, employees, and program representatives.

		Increased awareness by agencies of the work and family issues which confront their employees and greater understanding of the personnel practices, programs, and policies which are available to help, as evidenced by: an increase in the number of agencies offering their employees flexible work schedules, part-time employment, telecommuting opportunities, and the number of agencies sponsoring child care and elder care activities, as determined by an FY 2000 OPM survey of Federal agencies. Baseline data from the FY 1998 report, A Review of Federal Family-Friendly Workplace Arrangements (cited below) reflects the following: 92% of responding agencies report the use of part-time employment and flexible work schedules. Less than 1% of agencies are participating in telecommuting programs or referral services for child and elder care. the type and number of complaints received by the new Family Friendly Workplace Advocacy Office concerning the availability of family friendly workplace initiatives; consistency in the quality of agency programs nominated for the annual OPM Director’s Award for Outstanding Work and Family Programs, as determined by increased scope of employee eligibility and participation (the average number of receipts over the past four years is 36 nominations). In FY 1998, in response to a Congressional request, the Work and Family Program Center surveyed Federal agency personnel directors and conducted focus groups in both the Washington, DC metropolitan area and in the field of employees, managers, and union representatives to assess the impact of family-friendly workplace arrangements. This resulted in OPM’s report to Congress, A Review of Federal Family-Friendly Workplace Arrangements in July 1998. The Center also issued the training handbook Work and Family Issues: A Training Module for Supervisors and Managers, and the Elder Care Connection (ECC), a resource and data bank of local elder care agencies, resources, and services located in Washington, DC, Maryland, and Northern Virginia. The Center sponsored the fifth annual Governmentwide OPM Director’s Awards Program for Outstanding Federal Agency Work and Family Programs, as well as an Older Americans Month conference. It also hosted a number of seminars on topics such as child support enforcement, exploring Federal child care strategies, adoption, and a fatherhood seminar to promote the involvement of working fathers in the family-friendly workplace arrangements.
		Improvement in employees’ perception that employees’ family responsibilities are understood and supported, as measured by a 1% increase in the percentage of favorable ratings in the annual Merit System Principles Questionnaire. The overall percentage of favorable ratings was 62% in the 1998 survey (reported out in FY 1999).

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Web Page Created 14 May 1999