Lawmakers from the Republican party in Congress propose multiple pieces of legislation to restrict remote work options
The 119th Congress is currently focusing on new restrictions for federal employee teleworking, with several bills introduced by Republican senators and representatives aiming to curb the practice.
One of the most notable bills is the Federal Employee Return to Work Act, which was first introduced by Representative Dan Newhouse, R-Wash., in October 2022, but did not advance. The bill's Senate companion, introduced by Sen. Bill Cassidy, R-La., in January 2023, also did not make it out of the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee. Rep. Andy Biggs, R-Ariz., has also introduced a similar bill, the Return to Work Act (H.R. 107), which requires federal agencies to revert telework policies to those in place on Dec. 31, 2019.
The Federal Employee Return to Work Act bars federal employees who telework from receiving locality pay, with exceptions for employees with disabilities, Foreign Service members, federal law enforcement, active duty Armed Service members. This means that federal employees who work from home would no longer receive additional pay based on the cost of living in their specific location.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, is an outspoken critic of current federal telework practices and has introduced the Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act (S. 21). This bill aims to monitor how many times teleworking employees log in and the length of time they are connected. It also requires agencies to measure the login data and network traffic from teleworking employees.
The Telework Reform Act (S. 3015), previously cleared by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, but didn't advance to a floor vote, proposes to codify the Office of Personnel Management's definitions of telework and remote work. The bill also requires annual telework training for employees and new reporting requirements for agencies.
Sen. Joni Ernst has paired the Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act (S. 21) with two other bills to help relocate federal employees outside the National Capital Region.
Rep. Biggs first introduced the Return to Work Act in 2022, but it did not advance. Sen. Joni Ernst has also reintroduced the Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act (S. 21) in January 2023. Sen. James Lankford, R-Okla., has reintroduced the Telework Reform Act (S. 3015) in the current congressional session.
These bills are part of a larger trend in the 119th Congress to place new restrictions on federal employee teleworking, as lawmakers seek to address concerns about productivity, security, and cost. However, the future of these bills remains uncertain, as they face opposition from some federal employees and advocacy groups who argue that telework offers important benefits for both employees and the federal government.
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