United States General Services Administration

Interagency Telework Issues Working Group Subcommittee DRAFT Reports

United States Office of Personnel Management

(Revised May 10)

Existing Arrangements

Currently, Federal agencies are required to report the number of employees in the agency who are participating in telework/flexible arrangements and the cost to the agency via the Federal Employees Clean Air Incentives Act Fiscal Year Report that is submitted by the General Services Administration (GSA) to the President and Congress on a bi-annual basis. GSA has been designated the Federal agency for collecting and submitting the data. This report should provide a history of agency participation. The report collects data on areas (i.e., Transit Subsidy, Bicycle Accommodations, and Non-Monetary Incentives (i.e. Alternative Work Schedules, Flexitime, Telework/Flexible, Executive Parking, Shuttle Service, etc.) where past and current legislation has been passed to assist in reducing traffic congestion, air pollution and assisting employees in managing work and life (see attached reporting form).

In addition, there is a new reporting requirement related to telecommuting as a result of Public Law No. 106-346, Section 359 signed by the President on October 23, 2000. The law requires that each executive agency establish a policy that allows eligible employees of the agency to participate in telecommuting to the maximum extent possible without diminished employee performance. This law states that the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) shall provide the policy and guidance of this law to ensure 25% of the eligible Federal workforce is telecommuting in 2001 and that an additional 25% of such workforce will be telecommuting each year thereafter. So, that by 2005, 100% of the eligible workforce will be telecommuting. Based on this requirement, OPM has initiated a reporting requirement of all eligible Federal agencies to provide identified data related to Telecommuting Policy and participation by April 16, 2001.

Areas of Concern with Existing Arrangements

Although, there is an established reporting requirement for telework/flexible on the Federal Employees Clean Air Incentives Act Fiscal Year Report, the definition for data to be provided is not clear on what type of telecommuting should be reported. Therefore, agencies can report data differently based on their interpretation of the definition. Some agencies only report regular and reoccurring scheduled telecommuting, while others report regular and reoccurring, adhoc (otherwise known as episodic or situational), and medical accommodations. This inconsistent report of data makes the report unreliable.

Also, there is no requirement for Federal agencies to establish and maintain records or a tracking system on telecommuter participants and related pertinent information (i.e. travel miles and time saved, utilize a Telework Center or work from a home office, etc.)

In addition, there is no requirement for Federal agencies to report the reduction of single occupancy vehicles on the highway, or travel miles and times saved by participants, yet these issues are the main reasons for the telecommuting initiatives. Also, these types of information are items for supporting a business case to management.

There is confusion by agencies on the types of telecommuting to report on the new OPM reporting requirements for telecommuting. One type states regular and reoccurring with a minimum of one day a week. The other states episodic with a schedule of an average of one day a week. The majority of agencies do not track or maintain files on episodic telecommuting because it is sporadic. The average may not be one day a week. The agencies submitted data based on their individual interpretations. Therefore the data is unreliable.

Existing Flexibilities

Although there is no requirement for Federal agencies to track telecommuting participants, some Federal agencies such as the Department of Energy and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation are tracking their telecommuting participants through their Time and Attendance System. These agencies track telecommuters who are regular and reoccurring, adhoc (episodic or situational), and medical accommodations. While other Federal agencies have developed internal databases to track telecommuters for both scheduled regular and recurring and adhoc situations.

Possible New Approaches

Establish the initial Federalwide telecommuting baseline through the utilization of the Federal Employees Clean Air Incentives Act Fiscal Year Report for 2001. Continue to identify GSA as the responsible agency for collecting and reporting data.

Do not establish a new reporting requirement for telecommuting, but continue to utilize the existing Federal Employees Clean Air Incentives Act Fiscal Year Report for collecting data, with some modification for telecommuting data. Agencies are already reporting Telework/Flexible data, to include numbers of employees participating and costs associated with the initiative on this report, which is required by law. Expand the data being collected to include the reduction of miles and time saved by participants, and a breakdown for reporting the different types of categories of telecommuting participants (i.e., regular and reoccurring, adhoc (otherwise known as episodic or situational), medical and disabled accommodations. Further, ensure specific and clear definitions are developed for the reporting requirements. This will ensure the data collected is consistent throughout Government and reliable.

Require Federal agencies to establish a system for tracking telecommuters and pertinent data required in the various reporting requirements. The type of system would be at the agency discretion, as long as it captured the pertinent information required on the Federal Clean Air Incentive Act Fiscal Report. Examples of systems could be the Time and Attendance System, an internal database, or a central web-based system.

Recommendations

We recommend that OPM clarify with the office of Congressman Wolf on the types (i.e., regular and reoccurring one day a week, adhoc (otherwise known as episodic or situational one or two times a year) medical and disabled accommodations) of telecommuting that will be counted as part of the twenty-five percent. Then OPM should develop specific guidance for agencies to follow.

We recommend that GSA be the primary custodian for collecting and reporting the new Teleworking requirements through the utilization of the Federal Employees Clean Air Incentives Act Fiscal Year Report. Currently, this report requires agencies to report certain information on teleworking. We further recommend that the information being reported be expanded to include more pertinent information as a result of the new reporting requirement. Attached is a draft of the report modifications being recommended.

We recommend that OPM require each eligible Federal agency to establish a system for tracking telecommuters and pertinent data required under Telework Incentives on the Federal Employees Clean Air Incentives Act Fiscal Year Report. The type of system will be at the agency's discretion, as long as it capture the pertinent information required on the Federal Clean Air Incentive Act Fiscal Report. Examples of systems could be the Time and Attendance System, an internal database, or a central web-based system.

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