Federal Employees Would Need Annual Agreements to Telework Under New Bill

A new bill seeks to reform telework policies. Among its provisions is a requirement that federal employees get annual approval to telework.

Recently reintroduced legislation aims to enhance telework and remote work requirements for federal employees by modifying the definition, management, and implementation of telework across federal agencies.

The Telework Reform Act (S. 82) was previously introduced by Senator James Lankford (R-OK) during the previous session of Congress and has been introduced again on January 13, 2025.

Provisions of the Telework Reform Act

These are some of the provisions of the legislation:

Telework Agreements

Federal employees would need to sign annual agreements if they want to telework as the bill states that these agreements would last “for a period of not longer than 1 year.” Supervisors will review these annually, taking into consideration job duties, employee performance, and agency needs.

Restrictions on Telework

Employees may face limits on telework if they’ve been disciplined for unapproved absences while teleworking under a written agreement or their performance is lacking.

Remote Work Requirements

Remote workers might need to occasionally visit their main offices, and if they live within 75 miles of the office, they won’t be reimbursed for travel unless the travel is required during the workday and approved by their agencies.

Training and Oversight

Agencies must provide annual training for managers on handling telework and ensure systems confirm employees are working from approved sites.

Telework vs. Remote Work

The bill differentiates between telework and remote work in its definitions and requirements. 

The legislation defines remote work as “a category of telework under which an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of the position of the employee, and other authorized activities, on a full-time basis from an approved alternative worksite other than the agency-designated worksite with respect to the employee.”

It defines telework as “a work flexibility arrangement under which an employee performs the duties and responsibilities of the position of the employee, and other authorized activities, on a routine, situational, or full-time basis from an approved alternative worksite other than the agency-designated worksite with respect to the employee.”

These definitions reflect the Office of Personnel Management’s current definitions. According to OPM:

For purposes of OPM’s guidance, telework refers to arrangements where the employee is expected to report to work both at an agency worksite and alternative worksite on a regular and recurring basis each pay period. Remote work does not involve an expectation that the employee regularly reports to the agency worksite each pay period. Remote work is an arrangement that an agency, in its discretion, may choose to undertake, if the arrangement is consistent with the agency’s needs and the duties of the given position. A remote work arrangement may be initiated by the agency posting the position as one that will be performed remotely or by an employee requesting the privilege of working remotely. Agencies may determine whether to grant such requests on a case-by-case basis. The remote work agreement must accurately document the employee’s worksite to enable accurate determination of locality pay. Given budget implications, equity considerations, and other factors, agency remote work policies should clearly outline the level of approval required to institute or execute a remote work agreement or position. 

Department of Government Efficiency 

The Telework Reform Act is part of a package of bills that Senator Lankford introduced to support the efforts of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) in the new Congress. He is a founding member of the DOGE Caucus in the Senate.

He said in a statement, “The American people gave Washington a mandate in November—waste less, save more. Today I’m introducing a first set of bills to follow through on their mandate by prioritizing streamlined regulations, rulemaking, and record keeping. It’s time to put government waste in the doghouse and let DOGE get to work.”

In addition to the Telework Reform Act, the other bills are:

  • The Guidance Clarity Act (S. 81) to mandate that all federal agencies include a statement clarifying that their guidance documents do not have legal force but are meant to clarify existing laws or policies.
  • The STEP Act (S. 80) to enhance the transparency and efficiency of federal payments by requiring detailed reporting on improper payments and implementing stronger financial controls to reduce fraud.
  • The Early Participation in Regulations Act (S. 77) to mandate that federal agencies provide an advance notice of proposed rule making for “major rules,” which have significant economic or regulatory impact to encourage early public input.
  • The SMART Act (S. 76) to require federal agencies to establish frameworks for retrospective reviews of major rules, assessing their effectiveness, costs, and benefits, with specific timelines and methodologies.
  • The ACCESS Act (S. 79) to prohibit federal solicitations from mandating minimum education requirements for contractor personnel unless justified, promoting flexibility in contractor hiring based on skills and experience.
  • The Improving Federal Financial Management Act (S. 75) to enhance the roles of Chief Financial Officers in federal agencies, mandate a comprehensive governmentwide four-year financial management plan, and strengthen financial reporting and internal control assessments.
  • The TRUE Accountability Act (S. 78) to require the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) to issue guidance for federal agencies to develop adaptable internal control plans for managing emergency funding, focusing on preventing improper payments and fraud.

About the Author

Ian Smith is one of the co-founders of FedSmith.com. He has over 20 years of combined experience in media and government services, having worked at two government contracting firms and an online news and web development company prior to his current role at FedSmith.