“Telecommuting” is paid employment performed at a satellite location for an agreed-upon portion of the workweek. The satellite location could be:

• a dedicated area within an employee’s home,
• a workstation at a General Services Administration (GSA)-sponsored Telework Center, or
• a Department office in closer proximity to an employee’s home.

The Department’s telecommuting experience has consistently been positive. Supervisors and participating employees alike have shown flexibility, cooperation, creativity, and initiative.

There are some misconceptions as to whether telecommuting is appropriate for certain occupations. For example, supervisors in offices with heavy litigation workloads may believe that telecommuting is incompatible with the nature of attorney work. However, litigators in the Department, as well as other Federal agencies, successfully telecommute. Their supervisors report improved morale, and consistently high-quality work products.

For examples of successful telecommuting programs and experiences, in the Department and other agencies, visit the Department’s Worklife Web page.

• Telecommuters are often more productive, and produce better quality work because they work in a quiet environment with minimal interruptions.
• Supervisors experience improved employee commitment to ensuring that office coverage is maintained, quality of work is maintained or improved, and supervisor/employee communication is strengthened. In short, employees want to keep the benefit they enjoy.
• By avoiding arduous commutes to high-density urban areas, employees have more productive time available to carry out work assignments, as opposed to sitting in traffic. This reduces employee stress levels which contributes to better health.
• Less commuting improves the environment by reducing air pollution that results from traffic congestion.
• Employees who are handicapped, or are experiencing temporary medical problems, are able to work effectively with reduced leave usage or interruption to the office.

• Step one.   An employee submits a request for a telecommuting arrangement on the DOJ Flexible Work Options Request form. The request includes information such as:
  • the telecommuting schedule and location,
  • any costs or cost savings to the Government, and
  • methods for avoiding disruption to the supervisor, co-workers, and clients.
  A cover memorandum explaining the reason for the request and any benefits to the Government and the requester is optional.
• Step two.  The employee submits the form to the first-line supervisor for review and approval.
• Step three.  The first-line supervisor reviews the form and responds, in writing, within three workweeks.
• Step four.   If the request is approved, the employee and the supervisor complete the DOJ Telework Request form. This form covers such items as:
  • the voluntary nature of the arrangement;
  • the length of telecommuting arrangement;
  • the hours and days of duty for each worksite;
  • time-keeping responsibilities;
  • leave approval;
  • requests for overtime and compensatory time off;
  • performance requirements; and
  • proper use and safeguards of Government property and records.

Note:  Authority for approving telecommuting requests vary among DOJ components. Please contact your Component Worklife Coordinator to determine the correct process for your component.

Telecommuting is not a right.

A supervisor must decide whether a particular position is appropriate for off-site work, based on an analysis of the work and the employee’s performance. Because this is a supervisory work option, there is no automatic right of the employee to continue participation in the event of a change of supervisor. However, the Department expects managers to make reasonable decisions. A successful telecommuting arrangement should not be suspended in the absence of defined operational or regulatory concerns.

Before an employee begins to work offsite, the supervisor should establish procedures to minimize the adverse impact on other staff members. One person’s offsite work should not adversely affect the performance of other employees, or put a burden on staff remaining in the office. Not only should an equitable distribution of workload be maintained, but methods should be instituted to ensure that co-workers do not have to handle the telecommuter’s work.

If the supervisor believes that a telecommuting arrangement is not working well (e.g., the employee’s performance declines, or participation interferes with organizational needs), he/she has the right to end an employee’s participation. However, a minimum of 90 days participation should be allowed to provide employees and supervisors a reasonable period of time to determine the impact of the telecommuting arrangement.

With proper oversight and planning, telecommuting can be an extremely valuable tool for accomplishing the work of the Department while fostering improved employee morale and productivity.

For a more detailed discussion, consult the Department’s Telecommuting Guide.

GSA’s Interagency Telework/Telecommuting Site provides additional information, including the locations of the Telework Centers.