Stopping Home Office Work's Unproductive Problems Act of 2023 or the SHOW UP Act of 2023 This bill requires each executive agency to reinstate the telework policies that were in place on December 31, 2019. Agencies may not implement expanded telework policies unless the Office of Personnel Management certifies that such policies, among other requirements, will have a positive effect on the agency's mission and operational costs.
Impact
In a significant shift, this bill aims to halt the flexible teleworking policies that many agencies adopted during the COVID-19 pandemic, which supporters argue were detrimental to agency missions and efficiency. By requiring a reversion to pre-pandemic standards, the bill emphasizes traditional office attendance over remote options, potentially affecting productivity and employee morale. The implementation of the bill requires that agencies assess the practicality and cost-effectiveness of continued telework, ensuring such policies enhance, rather than hinder, their operational objectives.
Summary
House Bill 139, titled the Stopping Home Office Work's Unproductive Problems Act of 2023 or the SHOW UP Act of 2023, mandates that all executive agencies restore their telework policies to those that were in effect on December 31, 2019. The bill prohibits agencies from expanding these telework policies unless a credible plan, certified to benefit agency performance and operational costs, is submitted to Congress. The intent is to reestablish a pre-pandemic framework for telework, requiring a formal assessment of the impacts of expanded telework arrangements during the pandemic.
Sentiment
The sentiment regarding HB 139 appears to be mixed among lawmakers and federal employees. Supporters, primarily from the Republican party, advocate for the bill as a means to enhance productivity and accountability in government agencies, arguing that remote work can lead to complacency and inefficiency. Conversely, opponents, including numerous Democrats and labor advocates, criticize the proposal as an impractical reversion that disregards the benefits of flexible work arrangements, especially in attracting and retaining talent within the public sector.
Contention
Debate surrounding the bill reveals notable points of contention, particularly regarding the balance between operational effectiveness and employee work-life balance. Critics express concerns that reinstating older telework policies could ultimately reduce employee satisfaction, and subsequently, agency effectiveness. Furthermore, the requirement for annual studies and agency plans adds another layer of bureaucracy, which some legislators believe may detract from efficient governance.
Related bill
Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 7) relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 139) to require Executive agencies to submit to Congress a study of the impacts of expanded telework and remote work by agency employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and a plan for the agency's future use of telework and remote work, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 382) to terminate the public health emergency declared with respect to COVID-19; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 497) to eliminate the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on health care providers furnishing items and services under certain Federal health care programs.
Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act or the REMOTE ActThis bill directs executive agencies to track employees' computer network activity, compare the activity of teleworking and on-site employees, and report on any deficiencies in the performance of teleworking employees.First, the bill requires each agency to establish policies to track for every employee (1) the average number of daily logins, (2) the average daily duration of the network connection, and (3) the network traffic generated while the employee works. This information must be collected from employees working primarily on-site within 180 days after the bill's enactment and from teleworking employees within one year after the bill's enactment. The bill also directs each agency to publish this data in the agency’s fiscal year budget justification materials, including a comparison of the average login rates of on-site and teleworking employees.Next, the bill directs any manager who revokes a teleworking employee's authorization to telework (due to a reason specific to that employee) to document for the employee and the agency's Human Capital Office (1) the total number of days that the employee teleworked in the six work periods immediately preceding the revocation, (2) a narrative summary of the circumstances giving rise to the revocation, and (3) any steps the manager took to discipline the employee before revoking the employee's telework authorization. Finally, agencies must report to the Chief Human Capital Officers Council about any adverse effects of telework policies on the performance of the executive agency.
Providing for consideration of the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 7) relating to a national emergency declared by the President on March 13, 2020; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 139) to require Executive agencies to submit to Congress a study of the impacts of expanded telework and remote work by agency employees during the COVID-19 pandemic and a plan for the agency's future use of telework and remote work, and for other purposes; providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 382) to terminate the public health emergency declared with respect to COVID-19; and providing for consideration of the bill (H.R. 497) to eliminate the COVID-19 vaccine mandate on health care providers furnishing items and services under certain Federal health care programs.