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OPM defends rule to hamper Schedule F’s return, backs telework amid return to office push

May 23, 2024 Amid, Push, defends, backs, Office, 'Return, hamper, rule, schedule, telework, F’s0 comment

The Office of Personnel Management is defending a recently finalized rule meant to prevent the return of Schedule F — a Trump-era policy that made it easier to fire career federal employees in policymaking positions. OPM’s acting director told the House Oversight and Accountability Committee that the re-emergence of such a policy would undermine civil service protections, and return the federal workforce to a 19th-century “spoils system” with major turnover. Acting OPM Director Rob Shriver told lawmakers on Wednesday that the return of Schedule F would have a “chilling effect”…

Senators delay federal telework bill to consider adding work-from-home supervision

May 15, 2024 federal, Bill, senators, supervision', Delay, consider, Adding, telework, workfromhome0 comment

A few senators on the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee are digging in their heels on a federal telework bill, calling for more “accountability” of teleworking employees governmentwide. On a list of bills HSGAC considered for advancement Wednesday morning, the Telework Transparency Act aims to paint a clearer picture of telework across agencies. But during the committee’s consideration of the legislation, more questions than answers came up among members. There appeared to be at least some agreement among committee members on the intent of the legislation, but pushback from several…

‘Telework is not one-size-fits-all’: Agencies defend hybrid work for feds in front of House lawmakers

December 3, 2023 House, Lawmakers, work, front, Agencies, defend, Feds, hybrid, telework, onesizefitsall’0 comment

Agency leaders are still adjusting their return-to-office plans after the Biden administration called for an increase to “meaningful” in-person work and cuts to telework for the federal workforce. The administration, in large part, has emphasized the importance of using data to measure productivity, engagement and other factors that telework affects, according to the initial return-to-office memo from the Office of Management and Budget in April. But left unsatisfied with the telework data available from agencies, lawmakers on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee pressed harder on a handful of federal…

Dissatisfied with OPM’s data, Republicans ask individual agencies for telework details

May 25, 2023 Republicans, details, data, Agencies, dissatisfied', Individual, OPM’s, telework0 comment

With many agencies’ return-to-office plans still uncertain, Republicans on the House Oversight and Accountability Committee want to take matters into their own hands. GOP committee leaders changed their strategy for trying to get more federal telework data, now reaching out directly to agency heads. In a series of 25 letters, the lawmakers asked for up-to-date numbers of teleworking federal employees, after saying the Biden administration was “not adequately tracking the specific levels of telework.” The Biden administration “has not provided current data about the specific amount of telework occurring within…