Federal workers who telework one day a week could lose locality pay

[Anonymous]

They really hate us!

Federal employees who telework at least once a week would lose locality pay under a new House bill. Under the Federal Employee Return to Work Act, teleworking employees would receive "Rest of U.S." locality pay even if they live and work in a region with a higher cost of living. Rep. Dan Newhouse introduced the bill. He and Sen. Bill Cassidy led the bill during the last session of Congress.
(Newhouse leads legislation to send federal employees back to work - Rep. Dan Newhouse)

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2025/01/federal-workers-who-telework-one-day-a-week-could-lose-locality-pay/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:They really hate us!

Federal employees who telework at least once a week would lose locality pay under a new House bill. Under the Federal Employee Return to Work Act, teleworking employees would receive "Rest of U.S." locality pay even if they live and work in a region with a higher cost of living. Rep. Dan Newhouse introduced the bill. He and Sen. Bill Cassidy led the bill during the last session of Congress.
(Newhouse leads legislation to send federal employees back to work - Rep. Dan Newhouse)

https://federalnewsnetwork.com/federal-newscast/2025/01/federal-workers-who-telework-one-day-a-week-could-lose-locality-pay/

“For the last four years, D.C. bureaucrats have abused telework policies and exploited locality bonuses while our federal agencies’ buildings sit empty. This legislation is very clear; show up to where you are being paid to work so we can end this abuse of taxpayer dollars,” said Rep. Newhouse.

[Anonymous]

Oh well

[Anonymous]

Would you rather loose locality pay to be able to telework at least one day a week or rather keep locality pay and return to work 5 days a week?

[Anonymous]

I guess I’m one of the few feds who hates teleworking, partly because I work on classified projects.

[Anonymous]

LOL!!! Right because someone that teleworks ONCE per week is doing so from Texas.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Would you rather loose locality pay to be able to telework at least one day a week or rather keep locality pay and return to work 5 days a week?

I'd personally go in, because, no joke, the difference is 30k but 90% of my agency is not DC area, we're all 50 states. We hired hundreds of people entirely remotely.

[Anonymous]

Honestly, if I have to choose between such pay cut (Rest of US locality) and keeping remote status, I would prefer to keep remote status, hopefully, they will reverse the policy in 4 years.

But the bill is unlikely to pass.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL!!! Right because someone that teleworks ONCE per week is doing so from Texas.

Did you miss the "at least" part. I have colleagues who are full time teleworkers and live in Texas.

This would hit feds outside of the DMV significantly more.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL!!! Right because someone that teleworks ONCE per week is doing so from Texas.

Did you miss the "at least" part. I have colleagues who are full time teleworkers and live in Texas.

This would hit feds outside of the DMV significantly more.

Not PP, but I think the point is that if it is really targeted at people who do not live in the DMV, then the threshold should be higher than "at least" once per week.

And the people who DO live in the DMV and telework one day per work would be hit a lot harder because they are incurring DC locality expenses, while somebody in rural TX has just been benefitting from something they aren't entitled to.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if I have to choose between such pay cut (Rest of US locality) and keeping remote status, I would prefer to keep remote status, hopefully, they will reverse the policy in 4 years.

But the bill is unlikely to pass.

This.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:LOL!!! Right because someone that teleworks ONCE per week is doing so from Texas.

We all know that people who telework one day a week are using it for target runs, doctor’s appointments and laundry.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL!!! Right because someone that teleworks ONCE per week is doing so from Texas.

We all know that people who telework one day a week are using it for target runs, doctor’s appointments and laundry.

I'm fully remote now but when I was at one day a week I used my home days for my most complicated writing because no one would be coming in to interrupt me. In office someone was always coming by with questions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Honestly, if I have to choose between such pay cut (Rest of US locality) and keeping remote status, I would prefer to keep remote status, hopefully, they will reverse the policy in 4 years.

But the bill is unlikely to pass.

This.

They forget that all of the people they want to fill in to drain the swamp also have kids in school and need to commute and they would also like to telework 2 times a week.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL!!! Right because someone that teleworks ONCE per week is doing so from Texas.

We all know that people who telework one day a week are using it for target runs, doctor’s appointments and laundry.

Well, do you want to RTO with people wearing stinky unwashed clothes?