Citing the need for telework in continuity of operations plans, increases in efficiency and productivity, and quality of life issues, the House federal workforce subcommittee has called for an increase in telecommuting in the federal government.
It said issues such as traffic congestion, fuel prices, time away from family, and terrorist and pandemic threats prompted the hearing.
Recent events such as the theft of personally identifiable information from a Department of Veterans Affairs analyst’s home and greater attention and more policies and guidance on tightening information security cast a backdrop for the hearing.
However, so did the fact that the Internal Revenue Service’s headquarters remains closed due to flooding and the agency has had to implement a COOP in which 175 of its “critical” employees are telecommuting.
OPM is in the process of finalizing guidance for using telework in its pandemic flu response plan for agencies, due out later this summer and telework is being looked to as a an indispensable feature of government operations.
Daniel Green, OPM’s deputy director in the center for workforce planning and policy analysis, in the strategic HR policy division, focused in his testimony on efforts the agency has undertaken to support telework throughout the federal government.
He said OPM has provided individualized guidance and technical support to agencies through on-site visits and one-on-one consultation, and that it is trying to collect more and better data on the practice.
Green also said OPM is adding modules to the existing online training courses for managers and teleworkers and is revising the telework guide on the interagency telework website.
According to Green, OPM’s position on accountability for information security is that federal employees and their managers are both responsible for federal property and information regardless of where they are working — though he referred to Office of Management and Budget and NIST guidance for a more detailed explanation of security requirements regarding telework.
OPM is developing online materials agencies can use as templates to promote telework in their agencies, as well as classroom-style sessions for managers and supervisors, Green said.
