“To amend title 5, United States Code, to establish a process for considering telework requests of Federal employees, and for other purposes.”
No CRS summary available for this bill.
This section states congressional findings that telework improves federal agencies’ productivity, emergency preparedness, and continuity of operations; reduces staff turnover, absenteeism, and sick leave; improves employee health; promotes savings in funds and energy; and aids recruitment and retention of qualified federal employees.
This section establishes a telework request and appeal process for executive branch employees. Supervisors must decide requests within 90 days or grant automatic approval and must consider medical conditions, caregiving, disability, and commuting time; denials may be appealed to a new agency telework office and then to the Merit Systems Protection Board. The section prohibits retaliation, requires written explanations of decisions, mandates that each agency publish updated telework policies on its public website, and requires the Telework Managing Officer to be a senior career civil service official with direct access to the agency head. It also directs the Office of Personnel Management to submit annual implementation reports to Congress and preserves existing collective bargaining agreements.
This section prohibits the obligation or expenditure of federal funds to implement the presidential memorandum titled “Return to In Person Work,” issued January 20, 2025, or any subsequent order, directive, or agency guidance that eliminates remote work arrangements and requires federal employees to return to in-person work at their duty stations.