OPM closed - still have to telework?

[Anonymous]

Take leave asshole

[Anonymous]

Our agency policy is that if it is a regularly scheduled telework day, then the employee must telework. Otherwise, all non-essential personnel are granted admin. leave.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our agency policy is that if it is a regularly scheduled telework day, then the employee must telework. Otherwise, all non-essential personnel are granted admin. leave.

That used to be my agency's policy. Apparently they decided sometime in the past week that all telework ready employees must telework or take annual leave. Not a huge deal because DH watched DS yesterday, and daycare reopened today - but it would have been nice to have been made aware of this before yesterday. My employees have been giving me crap, which is rather annoying - especially when they don't have kids.

[Anonymous]

At my agency, for those with telework agreements, when the government is closed, we are closed, meaning no telework. When the government is delayed, those working telework have to work 8 hours, and not follow the delay.

[Anonymous]

At my Agency, if there is a big storm with advanced warning, managers remind their employees to bring their computers home (anyone with telework agreements). It is one of the tradeoffs of signing the telework agreement. Should you have a childcare issue, you need to take leave.

I actually telework 5 days a week and I have a 2 year old. I took leave yesterday. I had no daycare and could not do my job effectively with a 2 year old. Period. I knew this was the deal when I agreed to telework. Benefits outweigh the hassle.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FDA has a policy mandating telework when the government is closed even with children at home and out of school. Employees are expected to put in 8 hours around their childcare duties. There is no administrative leave granted.

That is not true in my part of FDA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my Agency, if there is a big storm with advanced warning, managers remind their employees to bring their computers home (anyone with telework agreements). It is one of the tradeoffs of signing the telework agreement. Should you have a childcare issue, you need to take leave.

I actually telework 5 days a week and I have a 2 year old. I took leave yesterday. I had no daycare and could not do my job effectively with a 2 year old. Period. I knew this was the deal when I agreed to telework. Benefits outweigh the hassle.

I had cases where I expected to take leave but the system couldn't accommodate a leave code on a day the govt was closed.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FDA has a policy mandating telework when the government is closed even with children at home and out of school. Employees are expected to put in 8 hours around their childcare duties. There is no administrative leave granted.

That is not true in my part of FDA.

Nor mine.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FDA has a policy mandating telework when the government is closed even with children at home and out of school. Employees are expected to put in 8 hours around their childcare duties. There is no administrative leave granted.

Census is the same.

what about employees who can't telework, like a bench scientist?

Sorry should have clarified, this is for employees with a telework agreement. So if you can't ever telework, you get administrative leave when the government closes. But if you have signed a telework agreement and telework even occasionally, you have to twelework or take leave on snow days.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FDA has a policy mandating telework when the government is closed even with children at home and out of school. Employees are expected to put in 8 hours around their childcare duties. There is no administrative leave granted.

That is not true in my part of FDA.

Nor mine.

CDER requires telework. Which centers don't require telework?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:At my agency, for those with telework agreements, when the government is closed, we are closed, meaning no telework. When the government is delayed, those working telework have to work 8 hours, and not follow the delay.

That's my agency too. Even if you are "telework ready," you don't have to telework if the government is closed. You only have to telework if the day coincides with a telework day per your regular telework schedule.

[Anonymous]

My agency says that you have to telework or take leave if you are "telework ready," but you aren't considered telework ready if you are caring for small children.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FDA has a policy mandating telework when the government is closed even with children at home and out of school. Employees are expected to put in 8 hours around their childcare duties. There is no administrative leave granted.

That is not true in my part of FDA.

Nor mine.

CDER requires telework. Which centers don't require telework?

I'm not in CDER. But my office also has a two day per week telework absolute max, whereas I have known people in CDER with 3+ days FWAP or who hotel and have no permanent office. Maybe that is why they are more strict.

[Anonymous]

If on a regular, normal day, I was at home, claiming to be "telework ready" but didn't have childcare in place for my small children, then people would be up in arms if they found out.

On a snow day, the definition of telework ready shouldn't magically change. Thankfully, at my agency, it doesn't - but sounds like it does for many of you. Sorry to hear that.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If on a regular, normal day, I was at home, claiming to be "telework ready" but didn't have childcare in place for my small children, then people would be up in arms if they found out.

On a snow day, the definition of telework ready shouldn't magically change. Thankfully, at my agency, it doesn't - but sounds like it does for many of you. Sorry to hear that.

It is an interesting issue. The way I see it, isn't about changing the definition of "telework ready." Rather, it is about the "benefit of the bargain." When you sign your telework agreement, you are pledging to be telework ready on those days when you are expected to telework. This includes regularly-scheduled telework days and weather-related closure days (in some agencies.) In essence, you forfeit the administrative leave option and pledge to work. If you have no childcare, you don't telework, but you take the leave.

Think of it in this context, in a situation where there is no weather-related closure, but it is your regularly scheduled telework day and your childcare falls through, you do not telework, but you do take leave to care for your child. Same situation.