General

Under current law, remote work is left to the discretion of agency heads, pursuant to their inherent authority to direct the affairs of their agency. See 5 U.S.C. 301, 302. Agencies should follow the procedures set forth by their human capital offices to consider employee requests for remote work. Note that there may be several cost implications for the agency and for employees who are approved for remote work (e.g., change in locality pay, travel expenses, etc.). Agencies should assess all benefits and costs before approving a remote work arrangement. 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.