This section contains general guidance developed by GSA for Federal telecommuting center (telecenter) programs. While focused on telecenter programs, this guidance also applies (in most cases) to work-at-home programs.

Content

• Background

  Project Organization

  Participation Criteria

  • Basic Considerations
  • Position Suitability
  • Participant Selection
  • Union Participation

  Position Descriptions and Performance Issues

  • Positions Descriptions
  • Performance Standards
  • Work Agreements
  • Cancellation

  Time and Attendance Issues

  • Work Schedules
  • Certification and Control of Time and Attendance
  • Leave
  • Administrative Leave, Dismissals and Emergency Closing

  Duty Station and Pay Issues

  • Duty Station
  • Special Salary Rates
  • Premium Pay
  • Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA)
  • Injuries, Continuation of Pay, Worker Compensation

  Telecommunications, Equipment and Services

  • Telecommunications
  • Computers, Software and Other Equipment
  • Remote Accessibility
  • Privacy Act Considerations
  • Accommodating Disabled Employees
  • Training

  Labor-Management Relations

  Liability and Responsibility Issues

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BACKGROUND

In January, 1990, the Federal government began piloting flexible workplace arrangements (Flexiplace) in which employees would be permitted to work one or more days per week at alternate worksites. These alternate worksites included the employees homes and/or geographically convenient satellite work centers (telecommuting centers). The first phase of this initiative focused on work-at-home arrangements and was successfully completed in 1993. In 1993, GSA began serving as the lead agency for the next phase of Flexiplace: the development of telecommuting centers (telecenters). The following document provides guidance for establishing and/or participating inFederal telecenter programs.

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PROJECT ORGANIZATION

General Services Administration - GSA's role is to develop or facilitate the development of the telecommuting centers utilizing its expertise in space acquisition and management, telecommunications and information technology services. Also, GSA will be the initial point of contact between Federal agency clients and the organizers/operators of the telecommuting centers.

Cooperative Administrative Support Unit (CASU) Program ofGSA - In some cases, CASU program offices will serve as the project manager and coordinator.

Local Jurisdiction Organizations - Local jurisdiction organizations (LJOs) are business groups, colleges, Federal orstate/local government agencies, and/or other organizations who serve as organizers and sponsors of the telecenter in their jurisdiction. LJO's may work with the CASU program and other GSA be targeted to current employees who have a working familiarity with their organizations. Telecommuting experts maintain that such employees are more likely to be successful telecommuters than are new employees. Agencies may determine special situations, however, in which new employees will be allowed to participate.

Supervisory concurrence is very important. In deciding whether to approve a telecommuting arrangement, supervisors should consider the suitability of the work to be performed, the arrangement's impact on other staff, and the candidate's characteristics and work history.

When selecting participants, agencies will need to ensure that the telecenter will be an adequate facility for successful job performance by the participant.

Agencies are encouraged to seek union views about selection criteria and procedures for participants in bargaining units and negotiate as appropriate.

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POSITION DESCRIPTIONS AND PERFORMANCE ISSUES

Position Descriptions

The telecommuting arrangement will seldom require major changes in position descriptions. However, it may affect factors such as supervisory controls or work environment. If telecommuting results in changes to actual duties, agencies should examine all factors for impact.

Performance Standards

Agencies should establish methods for evaluating work performed at the alternative worksite; this should include progress reporting and/or other procedures to facilitate employee-supervisor communication. As provided by section 4302(a) (2) of title 5, USC, employee participation in developing performance standards is encouraged. Participating supervisors and employees should discuss and clearly define tasks and expectations.

Although the substance of performance standards and elements is outside the duty to bargain, agencies may consider union input when developing performance standards for bargaining unit positions. Similarly, agencies may invite union input into the development of work agreements.

Critical elements and performance standards for telecommuters should generally mirror traditional standards for such employees, with adjustments for unique circumstances encountered when working at telecommuting centers. Results-oriented standards which provide a reasonable basis for evaluating job performance should be used for all employees regardless of whether or not they are telecommuters.

Generally, evaluations of job performance for telecommuters should be based on existing standards and expectations. In order to evaluate job performance as well as to certify time and attendance for telecommuters, managers should establish clearly defined work assignments and expectations.

Work performance should be evaluated according to:

• Existing quantity and quality expectations, such as a specified number of claims processed without errors during a specified period;
• Existing expectations monitored through periodic progress reports by the telecommuter; for example, reporting progress on specified steps of an on-going project in which a reasonable time frame, based on past experience, has been established for each step (completing and reporting the steps involved in a major audit, investigation, research project, job analysis, etc.) (Applies to work for which performance and progress can be evaluated by a supervisor who has the experience and knowledge to certify and evaluate timeliness, quality, and quantity aspects of work reported by the telecommuter); or
• Other appropriate measures, such as timely completion of high quality products. If, due to the nature of the job or other circumstances, these latter methods are not feasi employee's work requirements regardless of work location. Failure to properly schedule work may make the agency liable for premium pay under title 5, USC.

  The supervisor and the telecommuter should agree on the days and times that the employee will work in each setting. The schedule can parallel those in the main office or be specific to the worksite. For example, a telecommuter who works from 7:00 am to 3:30 pm at the main office, may be assigned the same schedule when working at the center. Alternatively, the same telecommuter may be assigned to work from 9:30 to 6:00 or some other schedule at the center. As long as the schedules are consistent with agency AWS policies and applicable labor contracts, the variety of such schedule combinations is unlimited and should be geared to the employee's personal and job requirements. The process of establishing work schedules should be sufficiently flexible to permit periodic adjustments, if any, to achieve an optimal schedule suiting employee and organizational requirements.

  Published opinions by telecommuting experts suggest that it is beneficial for telecommuters to spend at least part of the workweek in their main office. It is thought that this periodic presence in the main office will minimize isolation and communication problems; give the telecommuter access toequipment, services, etc. not available at the alternate workplace; facilitate integration of the employee with those in the main office; and, also, ease supervisor adjustment to the new work arrangement. Agencies may elect, however, to allow telecommuters to work their full schedules at the telecenter.

  Certification and Control of Time and Attendance (T&A)

  Although agencies establish their own procedures for certifying time and attendance, those procedures must follow standards set by the U.S. General Accounting Office (GAO) in its Policy and Procedures Manual for the Guidance of Federal Agencies(Title 6).

  The GAO guidelines require agencies with employees working at remote sites to provide reasonable assurance that they are working when scheduled. Such assurance can be achieved by supervisor determination of the reasonableness of work output for the time spent or by occasional supervisor telephone calls or visits during the employee's scheduled work hours at the center. The technique of determining reasonableness of work output for the time spent is consistent with managing by results and is recommended by experts for use with telecommuters.

  Leave

  The current rules and procedures for leave administration apply to telecommuters. The location of an employee's worksite has no impact on these rules; these rules depend on the workschedule.

  Administrative Leave, Dismissals, and Emergency Closing

  In general, the organization responsible for operating the telecenter will have the authority and responsibility for emergency closing of the telecenter. That same organization will have the responsibility of informing the telecommuters and their respective agencies. Agencies may establish additional reporting procedures for telecommuters affected by center closing; such procedures should be spelled out in the telecommuters work agreement.

  The telecenter may be unaffected by emergencies that lead toclosing and dismissals at the central office. As may happen with different offices in the same metropolitan area, some may be affected by the emergency and others not. Whether telecenter or main government office, the principle is the same: if work can proceed at a particular worksite, then employees at that site should not be excused from duty just because other employees elsewhere have been dismissed or excused from reporting.

  Agency guidelines on dismissals and closing should be sufficiently flexible to cover a variety of potential situations. For example, on a snow dismissal day for the main office, a telecommuter working at a center that is located outside the storm area may still be excused if perform EmployeesCompensation Act (FECA), for continuation of pay (COP) or workers compensation for legitimate on-the-job injury or occupational illness. It is important to note that an injury incurred at the center by a telecommuter is handled in the same manner and by the same regulations as an injury incurred at the main office. Agencies should scrutinize any report of an injury incurred on the job to ensure proper determination of the case.

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  TELECOMMUNICATIONS, EQUIPMENT AND SERVICES

  Telecommunications

  The telecommunications required to support a telecenter willbe much the same as what exists in a typical office environment. The General Services Administration Information Resources Management Services (IRMS) has contracts in place (the Purchaseof Telecommunications Services (POTS), the Telecommunications Support Contract (TSC), etc.) which can provide electronic keyand private branch exchanges telephone systems, as well as a wide array of communications support services.

  Telecenters can also support long distance service through use of the Federal Telecommunications System 2000 (FTS2000) Network. FTS2000 utilizes advanced technology in digital telecommunications and fiber optics to provide a comprehensiveset of services and features to include voice, data, and videotransmission.

  Computers, Other Equipment, and Software

  GSA's Federal Information Resources Management Regulations(FIRMR) provide general guidelines to Federal agencies for their policies on off-site end user computing (see FIRMR Bulletin 30). GSA also provides general guidelines to Federal agencies for use of computers offsite (See "FLEXIPLACE: Questions and Answerson Computer and telephone Issues," publication KMP-92-1-I). The indicated GSA documents can be obtained from GSA's Information Resources Management Reference Center.

  Telecenters will provide varying levels of equipment andservices; agencies, however, may place additional Government-owned equipment and software in telecenters. Each agency maintains full control over these items as accountable personal property. Government-owned equipment and services arefor official use only. Documents created or modified using Government-owned equipment are Government property.

  Remote Accessibility

  Employees often need access to records, regulations, handbooks, manuals, and files normally maintained at the office site. Agencies that maintain this information in digital form can transmit it back and forth over telephone lines. If the information is available only in hardcopy form, facsimile machines can transmit and receive it.

  Privacy Act Considerations

  Records subject to the Privacy Act may not be disclosed to anyone except those authorized access as a requirement of their official responsibilities. Agencies should ensure that appropriate physical, administrative, and technical safeguards are used to protect the security and confidentiality of such records used at telecenters. Agencies should revise their record system notices as necessary to indicate that offsite system location is authorized. Policy guidance on information securit yand privacy is available in FIRMR bulletins C-19 and C-22 obtainable from GSA's Information Resources Management Reference Center.

  Accommodating Disabled Employees

  Current employment efforts which focus on accommodating disabled workers can be supplemented by flexible workplace arrangements. For information on work opportunities for disabled individuals, see the handbook, Managing End User Computing for Users With Disabilities, prepared by GSA's Clearinghouse on Computer Accommodation. Policy guidance for equipment that provides access for disabled employees is available in FIRMR Bulletins C-8 and C-10.

  Training

  To facilitate the successful functioning of this program, it is important that telecommuters, their supervisors, and others with project responsibile Federal employees.

• The telecenter operator has the responsibility for ensuring that the facility continues to meet those standards.
• Also, the telecenter operator is responsible for a timely response to problems or concerns expressed by center clients and telecommuters.

As mentioned above, Federal employees are covered by the Workers Compensation Employment Act for injuries or occupational illness incurred while working at the telecenter. Depending on the nature of an incident and the contractual arrangement between the telecenter operator and the building owner, either the telecenter operator or the building owner will be liable for damages or other costs incurred by telecenter clients as a result of problems occurring at the telecenter.