In the early days of the pandemic, remote work seemed like a short-term arrangement, but as days turned into months, working remotely, in some capacity, became a reality for over two-thirds of the federal workforce. Today, federal employees work in an office more frequently than they do anywhere else, with telework employees spending 61.2% of their work hours at traditional federal work sites, but this means there is still a considerable amount of government work being done outside office walls.
Adapting to this new reality means taking a close look at policies and procedures to ensure that work arrangements meet the needs of employees as well as the requirements of agency missions.
Defining Remote Work
In government, telework and remote work are two different arrangements. "Telework" requires workers to commute to a traditional worksite at least twice per pay period. "Remote work" does not carry an in-office requirement. In practice, only about 10% of federal employees qualify as "remote." The majority working remotely are telework employees.
These definitions have been part of government culture for years but soon will be codified into law as part of the Telework Reform Act (S. 3015). The act will make job descriptions more definitive as to location required for work. The law will also require an annual review of employees' work arrangements to ensure that those still enable workers to meet the duties of the job and needs of the agency.
Managing Remote Workers
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has introduced guidelines for employees and employers to get the most out of remote working environments. The guidance emphasizes the need for clear policies that outline what positions are eligible for remote work, supervisors' roles in ensuring accountability, and performance measures to track productivity. OPM encourages agencies to balance new employee development with remote work to ensure that employees starting work remotely get the same opportunities for development and advancement as employees who started careers in traditional agency environments.
Flexibility is also key. OPM, which pointed to the high performance of various teams, has a workforce that averages 50% of their time in office. However, OPM anticipates having their Retirement Services team spend more of their time in the office from January through April to best handle the annual surge in retirement applications.
Measuring Success of Remote Workers
OPM is encouraging agencies and legislators to look beyond the amount of time spent in office and instead focus on mission outcomes to determine the effectiveness of workplace policies. The General Services Administration, for example, looks at metrics around supplier satisfaction, small business support, and implementing contract modifications to see how their workforce is performing. Future-of-work experts argue that if a group of employees are meeting or exceeding such agency goals, that's a clear sign that remote work arrangements are serving the agency well.
To learn more about how the government workforce is adapting to remote work policies, check out these resources from GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.
- Talent Retention Toolbox: Strategies for Keeping Your Best Talent (November 21, 2024; webcast) - Hear about the essential tools and proven strategies to foster a workplace environment where top talent not only thrives but remains committed, engaged, and motivated.
- National Leadership Training (NLT) 2025 (February 19-20, 2025; Washington, DC) - Gain valuable insights from leading government financial-government professionals and industry experts to enhance your leadership skills.
- DoD CIO Cyber Workforce Summit (March 20-21, 2025; Washington, DC) - DoD CIO representatives will share the latest information about supporting the Department's cyber mission with the most capable and dominant workforce.
- Teleworking and Remote Schooling During the Pandemic (white paper) - This report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics looks at a variety of data to examine the link between virtual schooling and the rates of telework among the U.S. workforce. It examines the benefits teleworking has for different demographics within the workforce.
- Another "New Normal": 5 Tips for Return to Office Work-Life Balance in Government (white paper) - This publication discusses five tips for federal employees to achieve work-life balance while returning to more in-office time.
- Taking Control of Your Professional Wellness (white paper) - This report discusses tips for working in the office and remotely to ensure wellness. Tips include the importance of difficult conversations, de-toxifying the workplace, how to manage burnout, and ways to prioritize wellness.
More insights on government work environments can be found on GovEvents and GovWhitePapers.
