TREASURY DIRECTIVE: 74-14
DATE:
SUBJECT:
Treasury Alternative Workplace Arrangements
1. PURPOS
2. POLICY. It is the policy of the Department of the Treasury to provide employees the opportunity to participate in AWAs when practical and consistent with agency mission. Consistent with the guidance set forth in this directive, each Treasury bureau shall, at a minimum, establish a telework program that supports its specific mission and designate a telework coordinator.
3. BACKGROUND. Alternative workplace arrangements are
flexible arrangements that allow an employee to work away from the traditional
office or official duty station. The
mission of the bureau and the roles and responsibilities of a particular office
and its employees will determine how often and to what extent AWAs are used.
AWA programs can be used
for the purpose of (1) improving the bureau’s ability to recruit and retain
employees in a highly-competitive labor market; (2) achieving cost savings by
reducing real property needed for office space; (3) increasing employee morale
and productivity; (4) reducing traffic congestion, energy consumption, and air
pollution; (5) addressing Continuity of Operations (COOP) requirements; and/or
(6) ensuring employees will be able to work if an emergency, major disruption (e.g., flooding), and/or wide-spread
health concern occurs (e.g., pandemic
influenza, tuberculosis, or other communicable disease).
4. DEFINITIONS.
The following terms are used in this
document:
a. Alternative Workplace Arrangement (AWA). A flexibility allowing employees to work in a
non-traditional workplace setting, usually in an environment away from the
official duty station. This includes
telework, use of telework centers, virtual offices, hoteling, and other alternative
workplace arrangements. AWA addresses the location of the work
site as opposed to the work schedule.
b. Telework. A form of AWA permitting employees to perform all
or a portion of the officially assigned duties at an alternative worksite, including
at home or other pre-approved locations.
For reporting purposes only, the
c. Teleworker. An employee who, with the approval of his or
her supervisor, works at locations or work sites other than the official duty station.
d.
e. Virtual office or virtual workplace. A work environment in which employees work cooperatively from different locations using a computer network as opposed to a single location site (facility) where workers are housed. The virtual office is typically a collaborative communications medium, such as a computer network, where workers gather electronically to collaborate and/or carry out other work activities. The actual physical locations of the employees working in a virtual office can be temporary or permanent and can be nearly anywhere, such as their homes, satellite offices, hotel rooms, corporate offices (shared work space), airports, airplanes, or automobiles. f. Hoteling. A form of AWA in which employees work in one facility (e.g., facility A) part of the time and at one or more alternative worksites the rest of the time. When working in facility A, these employees use non-dedicated, non-permanent workspaces assigned for use by reservation on an as-needed basis.
5. R
a. The Assistant Secretary for Management and
Chief Financial
b. The Deputy Assistant Secretary for Human
Resources and Chief Human Capital
(1) designate a
Departmental coordinator to serve as primary contact;
(2) provide
information and other resources to assist in the organization and
implementation of AWA programs throughout the Department; and
(3) identify
training and resources, and coordinate Department initiatives and reports as
required.
c. The
d. Heads of Bureaus and
(1)
establish AWA programs, as applicable, and appoint program coordinator(s), to
serve as contact and liaison between the Department and the bureau/office, at
all bureau/office locations where possible and appropriate to bureau/office
mission;
(2) periodically
report on the status of bureau telework (as defined in this directive) and
other AWA programs and participation in those programs in order for the
Department to respond to information requests from external entities such as the
(3) complete all labor
relations responsibilities.
The authority of the Inspectors General is set forth in Section 3 of the Inspector General Act and the Internal Revenue Service Restructuring and Reform Act, and defined in Treasury Order 114-01 (OIG) and Treasury Order 115-01 (TIGTA), or successor orders. The provisions of this directive shall not be construed to interfere with that authority.
6. ALT
a. Participation in an AWA is a management option
and not an employee entitlement. An
employee may be eligible to participate in the program if the responsible
supervisor or designee decides that the employee’s job duties are appropriate
for offsite work, and the employee meets all criteria for eligibility.
b. An AWA does not alter the terms and conditions
of employment, including an employee’s base salary, benefits, individual
rights, or obligations. Matters
regarding pay, such as a change in official duty station, overtime, call back,
leave, and travel entitlements, will be administered in accordance with current
law, rule, and regulations. The AWA
shall not affect other conditions of employment (e.g., hours of work), unless otherwise specified in a written
agreement.
c. The use of alternative work locations should not be a barrier to an employee’s ability to perform obligations such as official travel, attending face-to-face meetings and communicating with colleagues and customers. Supervisors reserve the right to require employees to report to the official duty station on scheduled AWA days, based on operational requirements.
d. Although a variety of circumstances may affect individual situations, the principles governing administrative leave, dismissals, and closings remain the same. During an emergency (e.g., inclement weather, pandemic situation), AWA employees may be required to continue working at their alternative work sites on their AWA days when the official work station is closed.
e. Upon appropriate notice the bureau manager or
designee, has the right to inspect the home or alternative work site and
equipment to be used by an employee to ensure that the proposed work space is
safe, all security requirements are met, and all equipment is adequately
installed and performing properly. Bureaus
may require an employee to sign a safety checklist prior to entering into an
AWA arrangement.
f. The AWA under which an employee will perform
work must be clearly set forth in a written agreement and signed by the
respective supervisor and employee. The
agreement must specify:
(1) the alternative work site (i.e.,
work-at-home, telework center, or other approved location), including portion
of the residence that will be used as the official work station (applicable to
work-at-home arrangements);
(2) specific hours and days per week to be worked
at the alternative work place;
(3) pertinent office equipment to be provided and
by whom;
(4) method of communication to be used between the
official duty station and alternative work place;
(5) officially assigned duties to be performed and
methods of evaluation to be employed;
(6) compliance with all current security and loss/compromise reporting requirements.
g. The AWA agreement between employee and
supervisor may be terminated at the discretion of the supervisor or employee
with proper coordination.
h. The AWA shall be for the performance of
officially assigned duties and shall not be treated as an opportunity to
conduct personal business or accommodate child or elder care needs.
i.
7. AUTHORITI
a. Federal
b. Memorandum on
c. National Telecommuting Initiative Action Plan,
President’s Management Council (January 1996).
d. Memorandum Implementing Federal Family
Friendly Work Arrangements, 32 Weekly Comp. 1119 (
e. Public Law 105-277. Omnibus Appropriation Act,
Title IV § 630 (
f. Public Law 106-346, § 359. Department of
Transportation and Related Agencies – Appropriations Act (
g. OPM’s Guidance to Heads of
h. General Services Administration’s Federal
Management Regulation (FMR); Guidelines for Alternative Workplace Arrangements,
FMR Bulletin 2006-B3 (
i. A Guide
to Telework in the Federal Government (
j. General Services Administration’s Federal
Management Regulation (FMR); Information Technology and Telecommunications
Guidelines for Federal Telework and other Alternative Workplace Arrangement
Programs, FMR Bulletin 2007-B1 (March 2, 2007).
8. CANCELLATION. Treasury Directives 74-14, “Treasury Telework
and Flexiplace Program,” dated
9. OFFIC
/S/
Peter B. McCarthy
Assistant Secretary for Management
and Chief Financial Officer