Workforce
New OPM guide addresses local wages and travel expenses for remote workers
A new document from the Office of Human Resource Management analyzes current human resources policy for issues ranging from managing teleworkers to flexible work schedules when agencies plan to re-enter offices and a federal workforce after a pandemic.
That additional instructions contains sections on remote work related to Local tax and Travel reimbursement, two policy areas that have already been flagged as complicated by OPM officials as they are not designed for federal officials to live and work far from their agency’s offices, but no new policy is coming out.
A section on employee-employer relationships also reminds agencies that they may have collective bargaining obligations when it comes to reopening purchases, such as how long employees will be notified before they return to the office or what security measures will be in place when they do this.
Agencies should negotiate before directing employees to return, the guidelines state. The document also includes a reminder of President Joe Biden’s instructions to the agencies to negotiate a wider range of “permissive” non-compulsory items.
In her daily briefing at the White House Tuesday, press secretary Jen Psaki said the government has not yet made any determinations about the legality or appropriateness of the order to vaccinate federal employees. On the same day, Veterans Affairs Secretary Denis McDonough a Vaccination order for title 38 VA employees who work in patient care
This new July 23rd FAQ appears shortly after the agencies have July 18th deadline to submit their tentative reopening plans. It also ends up amid rising COVID-19 cases across the country and mounting concerns over the Delta variant of the virus, two conditions that could affect the reopening.
Home work
OPM has already encouraged agencies to use this hub to enable a more hybrid workforce.
One type of flexibility is remote working, a facility where employees don’t check in regularly like teleworkers do in the office. OPM highlights potential benefits like retention, but it also suggests that approving remote work comes at a cost.
“For the agency and the employees who are authorized to work remotely, several cost consequences (e.g. changes in local pay, travel costs, etc.) can arise. Agencies should review all benefits and costs before approving a remote work agreement, “the document states.”
OPM will issue a “Remote Working Guide” to “further explain the implications, considerations and strategies for the appropriate use of remote working,” according to the latest guidance.
Federal employees have an “official job” that sets certain wages and benefits such as local salaries and travel expenses. While the teleworker’s official location is the agency’s office, the teleworker’s location is their home or alternative workplace. This difference can have an impact on costs.
During the pandemic, much of the government worked under exemptions for mass teleworking, which meant that the federal agency’s official jobs remained their agency jobs, but the math changes outside of an emergency exemption.
The official job of an employee determines his / her local remuneration, a percentage increase in the remuneration of the federal authorities in the general duty roster.
Travel expense reimbursements are also formulated at their location, cost agencies have identified a potential obstacle to widespread remote work, according to an OPM officer.
For federal offices living in the official catchment area of the agency, there are no relocation allowances and temporary business travel expenses that cover the costs of business transactions.
However, if a teleworker’s official station is outside the agency’s commuting area, “reimbursement is due every time the employee has to return to the office in person,” the guidelines say.
Officials should think about how often they would like a remote control to come into the office, especially if they are working outside of the office’s local commuter area, the guide says. Technically, agencies are able to set parameters for where remote work can be done, it says.
Regarding moving costs, agencies “generally” don’t have to pay them for federal agencies wanting to work remotely, but they may have to pay them if the agency moves them back to the agency office, the document says.
Another potential cost factor for agencies is equipment such as monitors, chairs, and standing desks for remote and teleworkers.
If the agency advertises a position as a remote, it has to provide the equipment required for the position, according to the instructions. If an employee requests remote work, the agency can decide what is offered. Since teleworking is voluntary, equipment agencies’ guidelines may vary for this too, the guidelines say.
About the author
Natalie Alms works at FCW for the federal workforce. She is a graduate of Wake Forest University and has written for the Salisbury (NC) Post. Connect with Natalie on Twitter at @AlmsNatalie.
