Rep. Sarbanes, John P. | Committee on Oversight and Government Reform
H.R. 1722, the Telework Improvement Act of 2010, improves teleworking in executive agencies by implementing a telework program that enables employees to telework at least 20 percent of the hours worked in every 2 administrative workweeks.
The bill requires the head of each agency to establish a policy under which employees shall be permitted to telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing employee performance or the operations of each agency.
This measure exempts teleworking for employees whose duties and responsibilities include:
- required daily access to classified information;
- required daily in-person contact with members of the public or the use of equipment at the employee’s regular place of employment; or
- performance is otherwise infeasible away from employee’s regular place of employment.
In addition, it prevents the temporary denial of permission for an employee to telework if, in the judgment of the agency head:
- the employee is needed to respond to an emergency;
- the employee requires additional training;
- denial is necessary to achieve goals and objectives of programs administered by the agency.
The bill requires, in the event that denial of permission for an employee to telework is considered necessary, the Telework Managing Officer of the agency shall log and report such denial to:
- the Chief Human Capital Officer of such agency; or
- absent a Chief Human Capital Officer, the head of such agency;
- the Office of Personnel Management.
H.R. 1722 requires agencies to provide training to teleworkers and to ensure that no distinction is made between teleworkers and non-teleworkers for performance appraisal, training, and other specific purposes.
This measure also directs the Office of Personnel Management to determine telework regulations, provide teleworking assistance and guidance to agencies, and to maintain a telework database and establish various research and reporting requirements.
The General Services Administration, in coordination with OMB and the National Institute of Standards and Technology, shall prescribe regulations, 120 days after this legislation is enacted, to ensure adequate information and security protections for information and information systems affected by teleworking. Such regulations should be consistent with information security policies.
This bill requires the Office of Personnel Management to maintain a central, publicly available telework website that includes regulations relating to teleworking and a confidential hotline to contact the Office of Personnel Management to report any abuse.
H.R. 1722 requests that each agency designate an officer to function in the capacity as a Teleworking Managing Officer to serve as a resource for supervisors, managers, and employees to ensure that all employees are notified of grievance procedures for telework disputes. It also requires GAO to establish procedures for evaluating each agency’s telework policy and employee participation, evaluate agency compliance, and report annually to specific congressional committees on agency telework policies, participation and practices.
I really loved this post. You describe this topic very well. It is vital to have a full-service HR employment law training and consulting firm specializing in HR Training, Seminars on employment law, HR compliance training and sexual harassment prevention to train employees in any profession. HR Training is offered for employment law HR Training on the federal and state employment discrimination laws. It is vital to pick a company with a high level of expertise in HR Training, combined with dedication to personal service. In addition to on-site employment law training seminars for managers and employees and one-on-one manager on-site training, it is beneficial to also offer on-line HR Training and live employment law training via HR Training Webinars. Some firms even offers drafting and review of employment law policies and employee handbooks. HR Training seminars are also available for conducting investigations including sexual harassment prevention and discriminatory harassment workplace investigation training.
I think its funny how everyone here is so quick to jump on the illegal “Mexicans” that are in this country. What about ALL the Asian’s that are here illegally? I do agree that we need immigration reform but for ALL illegal immigrants not just pick and choose. For those who say we need the jobs for “hard-working Americans”, well they are more than welcome to go out to the fields, deal with heat or freezing cold and pick the fruit and vegetables that we all eat on a daily basis. However, a lot of those crying are the ones sitting on their butts collecting welfare. No one has to agree with me, this is just MY OPINION
Hello Vincenza, I agree, we should be looking at ALL illegals. If they are here without going through the proper channels, they need to be deported so they can apply and be processed correctly. The main reason the Government is focusing on the US-Mexico border is that is where a high number of illegals aliens from ALL races are coming into the country.