For employees covered by a collective agreement, remedies are subject to the complaint procedure (unless this purpose is expressly excluded from this procedure by the collective agreement, in which case the agency`s complaint procedure would apply). For workers who do not have a bargaining unit, the Agency`s current complaint procedure would cover appeals arising from the rejection of a telework request. All organizations must appoint a Telework Management Officer (TMO), who is the organization`s primary point of contact for policy and program matters. TMOs often work with a telework coordinator on the day-to-day operational aspects of telework. Managers should maintain frequent contact with their organization`s Telework Coordinator or Telework Coordinator to ensure that the Agency`s policies and procedures are properly applied and to ensure that they are aware of the full range of supports and resources available to them. You can find your agency`s telework coordinator by searching OPM`s work-life contact database. Rejection and termination decisions must be based on sound business and performance management decisions in accordance with the law, not on personal grounds. For example, a manager may reject a request for telework if the tasks of the telework workstation are not accessible. In some cases, it may be necessary to maintain an existing teleworking agreement for business reasons (e.B.
Change in the organization`s mission and operational requirements) or terminate due to a performance issue. If the rejection and/or dismissal of the employee is due to a performance problem, the manager or supervisor should be able to provide evidence that: The law requires each executive agency to determine the suitability of all its employees to telework. In general, it is at the discretion of organizations to establish telework eligibility criteria for their employees, subject to legal requirements. These criteria should be described in detail in the Agency Directive. Individual managers should assess, on the basis of these funding guidelines and any applicable collective agreements, who in their working group has or does not have the right to participate in telework. For more information on your organization`s eligibility criteria, consult your organization`s telework policy, telework coordinator or TMO. You can find your telework coordinator by searching OPM`s work-life contact database. As explained in the Telework Directive, the agreement contains certain provisions specific to each employee. These provisions are as follows: The federal government is a leader in the use of innovative workplace regulations, such as telework.
In June 2014, President Obama released a presidential anthem entitled Enhancing Workplace Flexibilities and Work-Life Programs to attract, empower and retain a talented and productive workforce in the 21st century. While telework is only one of the workplace flexibilities outlined in the memorandum, the focus on these efforts provides additional impetus to the implementation of the requirements of the Enhanced Telework Act, 2010 (the Act). The law states that every teleworker and his supervisor must enter into a written telework agreement for any type of telework, whether the employee teleworks regularly or not. For example, a written telework agreement is required for an employee who teleworks regularly once a week and for an employee who is only allowed to telework once a year. The parameters of this agreement are most often set out in the agency`s policy and/or collective agreement, but should include the following key elements: In addition, the rejection or termination of employment should include information on when the employee could reapply and, if necessary, the steps the employee should take to improve their chances of approval. Releases must be made in a timely manner. Managers should also review the organization`s collective agreements and telework policy to ensure that they meet all applicable requirements. For more general information, see the GSA Guidelines for Alternative Workplace Regulations.
For more information on your agency`s telework equipment policy, see your agency`s telework policy, telework coordinator or TMO. You can find your telework coordinator by searching OPM`s work-life contact database. Managers must provide employees with signed written rejections or terminations of telework agreements (and keep copies of them). These should include information on the reasons why the agreement was refused or terminated. The TMO should also be informed of any rejection or termination and of the copies made available to it. Telework is not a worker`s right, even if the employee is considered a “beneficiary”. Telework requests may be rejected and telework arrangements may be terminated. It`s also important for managers to avoid the trap of assuming that someone present and looking busy is actually doing more work than someone who isn`t on site. Good performance management practices are essential for telework to operate effectively and fairly.
Managers should familiarize themselves and their employees with their organization`s policies, including applicable collective agreements, to ensure that they meet their requirements. In addition, all authorities should have policies in place on the security of information systems and technologies, and managers should ensure that their arrangements for equipment selection and telework comply with these guidelines. .