4/15/10: This week, the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee approved two bipartisan measures increasing telework opportunities for federal employees and potentially boosting their Thrift Savings Plan (TSP) accounts. “These are solid measures for federal employees and I am pleased to see this approval,” said President Colleen M. Kelley of the National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU).

One of the bills, H.R. 1722, would expand telework opportunities for greater numbers of federal workers by ensuring that all those eligible for telework could do so at least 20 of the hours they work every two-week period.

NTEU has long been a strong advocate of broader use of telework in the federal sector, and the Obama administration agrees. Last year, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) began an initiative to help agencies formulate standards for policies and programs. As part of that effort, OPM told all agencies to submit their telework policies annually for OPM review; recommended that agencies designate a telework managing director; advised agencies to create a transparent appeals process for employees whose requests for telework may be denied; and said it will work to establish training on this important workplace program for managers and employees alike.

“Repeated studies of telework programs show they play a positive role in the federal workplace,” President Kelley said. “I’m confident that more and more examples of the success of these programs will convince remaining reluctant managers to expand telework among their employees.”

The other measure approved by the committee, H.R. 4865, provides that federal employees who are retiring or leaving federal service could deposit into their TSP accounts any money received from unused annual leave. NTEU advanced such a proposal last fall when President Obama raised the idea for private sector workers.

In support of the proposal, President Kelley noted that many federal employees carry over the maximum amount of 240 hours of annual leave every year. “Clearly, this could make a significant difference in their TSP account,” she said.

NTEU will continue to press for full congressional approval of both measures. “It is legislation like these two bills that will help establish the government as a leader in recognizing the needs and interests of its employees, and make service at the federal level what it should be—a workplace of choice for skilled, dedicated men and women,” she said.

Reps. John Sarbanes (D-Md.), Gerald Connolly (D-Va.), James Moran (D-Va.) and Frank Wolf (R-Va.) have provided critical leadership on H.R. 1722, President Kelley noted, while Reps. Stephen Lynch (D-Mass.) and Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) are leading efforts on the TSP measure.