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Department of Veterans Affairs telework policy

Title VI: Veterans’ Assuring Critical Care Expansions to Support Servicemembers · Subtitle C: Staffing Matters

Plain-language summaryAI

The Department of Veterans Affairs must create a telework policy within 180 days that can vary by location, job type, and employee category. In making this policy, the department must review staffing trends, workspace availability, productivity comparisons, and telework practices in other sectors. Any changes to the policy require advance notice to employees and Congress, along with reports on the reasons for changes and the policy’s budget impact.

AI-generated from this section’s text — a quick orientation, not a substitute for the full text below. Not legal advice.

Section Text · Sec. 635.
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(a) Policy required

Not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall, in accordance with the requirements of this section and the requirements of section 6502 of title 5, United States Code, establish a policy for the use of telework within the Department of Veterans Affairs.

(b) Locations

The policy established under subsection (a) may be different for different locations, specialties, and categories of employees, as determined appropriate by the Secretary.

(c) Assessment

In developing the policy required by subsection (a), the Secretary shall assess the following for each category of employees at the Department—

(1)

staffing levels and trends over the last 5 years;

(2)

exit survey data related to telework;

(3)

the availability of dedicated work space at facilities of the Department to enable onsite work at a duty station;

(4)

a comparison of productivity levels when duties are performed on site or through telework;

(5)

telework flexibilities for comparable categories of employees in the private sector and in other Federal agencies; and

(6)

particular duties that necessitate on site work.

(d) Notice and reporting

(1) In general

For any change made to the policy established pursuant to subsection (a), the Secretary shall—

(A)

notify all affected employees of the Department of the changes; and

(B)

submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the changes.

(2) Report contents

For each report submitted to Congress under paragraph (1)(B), the Secretary shall include the analyses for each category conducted in subsection (c) and the role of those analyses in the telework policy for each category.

(3) Deadline

A report submitted under paragraph (1)(B) regarding a change to the policy established under subsection (a) shall be made not fewer than 90 days before the change goes into effect.

(e) Report on budgetary impact

Not later than 1 year after the date on which the policy established pursuant to subsection (a) goes into effect, the Secretary shall submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs and the Committee on Appropriations of the House of Representatives a report on the annual budgetary impact of such policy.

(f) Effective date and changes

(1) Effective date of initial policy

The initial policy established by pursuant to subsection (a) shall go into effect not later than 180 days after the date on which the policy is established.

(2) Effective date of subsequent changes

Any change made to the policy established pursuant to subsection (a) after the effective date set forth in paragraph (1) shall take effect not less than 90 days after the date on which the change is made.

(3) Notice

For any change made to the policy established pursuant to subsection (a) after the effective date set forth in paragraph (1), the Secretary shall—

(A)

notify all affected employees of the Department of the changes; and

(B)

submit to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the Senate and the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs of the House of Representatives a report on the changes.