Federal Manager's Daily Report: Tuesday, December 21, 2004 FEDweek is the largest information resource in the federal government with now over one million weekly readers. To Subscribe, Go to http://www.fedweek.com/subscribepopup.htm *********************************************************** Valued Added Service to Our Readers:
Federal Job Search http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/295002755/717157/63/0/ Job Bulletin Board http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/295002755/717157/341/0/ Unlimited Internet Access for as low as $10.90 http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/295002755/717157/222/0/ Travel Discounts From FEDweek Our Readers Will Get Special Discounted Travel Rates Including, Airfare, Hotels, RV's, Car Rentals, and Special Weekend Getaways----Anywhere in the world Condo's Starting at $249 a week! http://fedweek.sparklist.com/t/295002755/717157/339/0/ ********************************************************** In This Week's Issue 1. Annual Weather Policy Issued http://www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/2004/2004-27.asp 2. Guidance on Telecommuting Included 3. Measure Seeks to Boost Telecommuting *********************************************************** 1. Annual Weather Policy Issued In what is something of a holiday season tradition, the Office of Personnel Management has issued a memo calling attention to policy on weather-related closings of federal buildings. The procedures apply in situations that prevent significant numbers of employees from reporting for work on time or which require agencies to close all or part of their activities. The policies mainly are used in weather emergencies, but they also apply in other emergency situations including natural disaster and terrorist attack. While the guidance on its face applies only to the Washington, D.C. area, similar policies are in effect elsewhere, enforced by Federal Executive Boards. The guidance provides information on designating "emergency" or "mission-critical" employees, the implications of delayed arrival, early dismissal or other operating orders, and agencies' responsibilities in dismissal or closure situations. The OPM memo is available here: http://www.opm.gov/oca/compmemo/2004/2004-27.asp 2. Guidance on Telecommuting Included The OPM memo also repeats special guidance, first issued last year, on the status of employees who telework during weather or other emergencies. Says the memo, "One of the major benefits of the telework program is the ability of telework employees to continue working at their alternative worksites during a disruption of government operations. In recognition of the growing importance of teleworkers in maintaining the continuity of government operations, agencies may wish to modify their current policies concerning teleworkers and emergency closures. "An agency may wish to require that some or all of its teleworkers continue to work at their alternative worksites on their teleworkday or on any of their regularly scheduled workdays during emergency situations when the agency is closed. An agency would not have to designate a teleworker as an emergency employee, but any requirement that a telework employee continue to work if the agency closes on his or her teleworkday or on any of his or her regularly scheduled workdays should be included in the employee's formal or informal telework agreement." OPM director Kay Coles James said in a statement, "One of the major benefits of the telework program is the ability of telework employees to continue working at their alternative worksites during a disruption of government operations. In the age of e-government and technology, there is no reason why agencies cannot maintain their delivery of services." 3. Measure Seeks to Boost Telecommuting The catchall spending bill for the remainder of the current fiscal year that President Bush has signed into law contains language aimed at lighting a fire under federal agency telecommuting programs, which remain relatively rare in the government despite years of pushing from Congress and the Office of Personnel Management and General Services Administration. The language for the first time links an agency�s funding to its progress on allowing agencies to telecommute. The language, which affects agencies covered by the Commerce-Justice-State appropriations bill, threatens budget cuts of up to 5 percent for those agencies deemed to be failing to make telecommuting available. The main sponsor is Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., who represents a suburban Washington, D.C. suburb with a high concentration of federal workers and significant traffic problems. Wolf has been the main congressional force behind efforts to improve telecommuting, and previously authored language encouraging agencies to reexamine their policies and make telecommuting available to all eligible employees. Some 750,000 federal employees are now deemed by their agencies to be eligible to telework OPM reported earlier this year, an increase of 125,000 over the prior year�s accounting, but of those considered eligible, the percentage actually doing so remains about the same, at 14 percent. Of those who telecommute, about four-tenths do so only "situationally"--in special personal or work situations--and not as part of a formalized telework arrangement. Published by FEDweek 11541 Nuckols Rd. Suite D Glen Allen, VA 23059 (804) 288-5321 Website: http://www.fedweek.com [EMAIL PROTECTED] --- You are subscribed to federalmanagersdailyreport as [EMAIL PROTECTED] To unsubscribe, send a blank email to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
