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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Fed supervisor here. I tend to be very lenient and flexible as long as the work is getting done. As soon as the work slips or the quality is sacrificed, I crack the whip. Usually that doesn't happen.

If your employee is still submitting quality work on-time and not slacking, then I'd have no problem if she's home and occasionally has to tend to a sick child. [/quote]

Fed regulation require childcare is in place, otherwise it is time card fraud.[/quote]

Of course, telework should not be a substitute for hands-on child care, but it's not always that black and white.

First off, OPM's own guidance says, "A teen-aged child or elderly relative might also be at home with the teleworker, after school or during the day, as long as they are independently pursuing their own activities."  If an employee can get their work done without interruption, then who cares who else is in the house? I sure don't.
https://www.opm.gov/FAQs/QA.aspx?fid=88348d96-ddf7-40b3-9126-66c88abe1b00&pid=4ec82cd4-ccc3-4c80-b3b7-b313abf4c4f9

At the end of the day, we in the government need to be operating in a "work smart" state of mind. Too many people are so hung up on things that don't matter, like how many minutes your butt is in a seat, versus work quality and responsiveness.

At my agency, our telework rules state that telework must occur in a pre-designated location within your home that is established and cannot change without a modification to your telework agreement. I've been known to....gasp...work on my bed when my back is hurting, or...gasp...work on my deck when the weather is nice. Technically both are violations of my arcane telework agreement, but do you honestly believe that the only place I can do work is in my home office, and that the minute I leave my home office I am completely incapable of doing my job? Of course not. My work gets does just the same, sometimes at my kitchen table, and sometimes on the couch.

When it comes to sick kids, there is a huge difference between a toddler requiring round-the-clock attention, and a 12 year old who's in their room reading a book and keeping to themselves. As long as a person can get their work done and the quality isn't compromised, where's the issue? It's a myth that all feds have an endless reserve of sick leave (some do, but mainly old timers).

That being said, if the work isn't getting done or quality is sacrificed, then as a supervisor, you shouldn't be allowing your employee to telework, period. [/quote]

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