Federal Manager's Daily Report

Federal employees who received an invitation to fill out OPM’s survey of federal agency work-life programs still have about two weeks to respond to the survey, designed to help agency management understand the needs and desires of their workforce for such programs, and help build the business case for them in budgeting and programmatic decision-making.

The confidential survey was sent to nearly 200,000 randomly chosen employees in late January with a six-week response window. Topics include telework, alternative work arrangements, family and dependent care, health and wellness, and employee assistance programs.

The survey takes about 15-20 minutes to fill out, and while OPM guidance did not specify that employees should be given working time to complete it, that has been the general policy regarding other workplace surveys such as the Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey.

OPM includes some work-life related questions in the FEVS but the main focus of that survey, which goes to virtually every federal employee annually, is on attitudes toward working conditions, personnel practices and management.

The work-life survey is the first of its kind and may be the last for some time, since there is no schedule to conduct it regularly. OPM plans to issue a government-wide report as well as agency-specific breakouts, although no time frame has been announced.