Report: Agencies need some flexibility to ensure that they meet performance targets and manage operational constraints. Image: 010110010101101 / Shutterstock.com
By: FEDweek StaffThe return-to-office directive leaves federal agencies with some leeway in deciding whether some work still can be done offsite, and in using that discretion agencies should consider the impact on employees that is “often overlooked,” says a report.
A white paper from the National Academy of Public Administration says that the first-day Trump administration order “requires a sharp departure from longstanding and widespread practice in both the public and private sectors of permitting routine telework for at least part of the workweek.”
However, it notes that under OPM guidance, agencies may grant exemptions to the RTO mandate “due to a disability, qualifying medical condition, or other compelling reason.”
Says the report, “Agencies need some flexibility to ensure that they meet performance targets and manage operational constraints. Most stakeholders Academy staff spoke with believe that, as the environment continues to change quickly, agencies’ RTO/telework policies will evolve accordingly.”
For example, it says, the FDA already “has reversed its RTO mandate weeks after returning staff to the office, allowing drug review staff and supervisors to resume telework at least two days a week.”
The report says that for jobs suitable for offsite work, agencies should take into consideration the impact on organizational performance; real estate, operational and other costs; and the impact on “organizational health”—including such factors as employee engagement and satisfaction.
Regarding the first factor, it notes findings by GAO and others that offering offsite work “serves as a strong recruitment and retention tool” and that many people, especially younger ones, prioritize work-life balance highly, even above salary in some cases. And offsite work “offers significant cost savings to the government by reducing expenses related to office space, utilities, and employee commute.”
Regarding the impact on employees, it says that “the RTO mandate shifts significant, often-unacknowledged costs and burdens to employees, such as increased financial costs (e.g., commuting costs, childcare/eldercare costs, etc.), loss of flexibility and disrupted work-life balance, long commutes, disruption of routines, and heightened stress and burnout.”
“The discussion has primarily focused on the potential benefits and challenges for agencies since the RTO mandate was issued, while the employees’ added burdens are often overlooked,” it says. “Research in the private sector suggests that the misalignment between the RTO mandate and employee preferences leads to higher turnover and recruitment and retention challenges.”
It recommends that agencies assess the effectiveness and cost implications of the RTO mandate and decide whether adjustments are needed; and continue to use other workplace flexibilities such as alternative work schedules, among other recommendations.
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