OPM Reports Nearly Half of Federal Employees Teleworked in FY 2020
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) recently released its fiscal year (FY) 2020 annual report to Congress on telework across the federal government. Conducted between November 1 and December 12, 2020, OPM distributed online surveys to 91 agencies, of which 87 responded.
According to the report, in FY 2020, 50 percent of federal employees were able to work remotely—an 11 percent increase from the eligible 39 percent in FY 2019. In 2020, 90 percent of eligible employees teleworked, a 34 percent increase from the previous year.
“Where appropriate, agencies throughout the federal government expanded telework to the maximum extent possible to protect the health and safety of the federal workforce and the American people,” OPM Director Kiran Ahuja stated.
Although some agencies were unable to provide data for some elements of the annual report due to the pandemic, one area where reporting improved was on the question of saving through telework. In FY 2020, 36 percent of agencies are unable to identify the cost savings associated with teleworking, down from 48 percent in FY 2019.
Agencies that maintained records of cost savings reported reductions in training, utilities, commuting, as well as lower costs associated with employee absences, recruitment, and retention. Using these records, OPM estimates that the federal government saved $180 million due to telework in FY 2020.
In the report, it is not clear whether telework had a positive impact on employee productivity; however, employee’s self-report that they are more productive when working from home, as evidenced by the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. Only 25 agencies have implemented metrics to measure productivity and only eight have developed metrics using data like performance ratings and attendance records.
“OPM has now produced this report for almost a decade. But this report is different, because it captures a period when Federal employees worked through the challenges wrought by the COVID-19 pandemic," stated Director Ahuja, "This experience makes clear that, when implemented correctly, telework can help us deliver on our mission. As we look to the future, OPM is encouraging agencies to strategically leverage workplace flexibilities such as telework to help attract, recruit, and retain the best possible workforce, as well as leverage telework as a way to ensure greater resiliency and emergency preparedness through the federal government."
Still some lawmakers continue to doubt OPM's current operating status of maximum telework. Last month, Rep. Kevin McCarthy (R-CA) raised concerns about the number of federal employees who continue to telework at a time when the White House says that the federal workforce is well vaccinated. Over the summer, Rep. McCarthy joined 13 colleagues in urging the administration immediately reopen federal offices, particularly those that offer in-person services that cannot be replicated using technology.
