Federal WFH: Public service is going remote

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  Quantumrun Foresight
• January 11, 2024

Insight summary

The growing trend of federal work-from-home (WFH) policies, spurred by the pandemic, enhances employee morale and productivity and aids in talent retention. Despite initial challenges, such as adapting to remote environments and maintaining work-life balance, improvements are underway with recommendations for better telework data and internal controls. This shift towards flexible, hybrid, and remote work is not just in the U.S. but also observed globally, indicating a future with enhanced telework infrastructure, flexible working arrangements, and digital transformation in public services.

Federal WFH context

Agencies view WFH as a way to remain competitive in the talent market while saving on costs. WFH arrangements will likely continue to evolve as the government seeks to balance the needs of employees with the demands of its mission. The use of telework has increased substantially among federal agencies during the COVID-19 pandemic. According to a report from the US Government Accountability Office (GAO), 24 major federal agencies increased telework hours during the pandemic (comprising 80 percent of total working hours). In 14 of these agencies, about one-quarter of their workforce worked from home permanently. 

In June 2021, The White House announced it is authorizing government organizations to offer their employees more flexible remote and hybrid work options. Since March 2020, much of the agencies has worked remotely. However, the acknowledgment of long-term flexibility is a major cultural shift for the public sector, which has lagged behind many private businesses in permitting flexible and remote employment. The acting heads of the Office of Management and Budget, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), and the General Services Administration agreed that federal employees had demonstrated resilience in completing their tasks, whether in person or remotely, over the previous 15 months. 

Disruptive impact

While the WFH setup has allowed for resilience and flexibility, its implementation had several challenges. According to GAO, agencies initially experienced difficulties replicating the office environment and faced other roadblocks, including IT equipment shortages and uneven work-life balance. Still, federal departments are considering increasing the number of teleworking days for eligible employees. In addition, better data on how telework was used during COVID-19 would help agencies prepare for emergencies in the future. While the OPM collects data on federal telework, it has made limited progress in addressing longstanding data quality issues.

GAO recommends that for federal WFH to work, there must be consistent monitoring of error reporting, integration of payroll data, and better internal controls. These steps would also allow OPM to provide more accurate and helpful information to Congress and set the stage for a future involving more telework across the government. Meanwhile, in Canada, the decision to allow federal WFH is up to department heads, even though 13 unions have called for clearer guidance on government remote work policies. The existing guidance states that many federal employees will return to onsite moving forward. However, it also opens the door for increased use of hybrid scheduling, fully remote employment, and even arrangements where workers in one part of the country may work for an agency based in a different region. Departments will be able to decide how much federal staff can telework; however, officials said it will depend on employee demands, management preferences, and the department's objective.

Wider implications of federal WFH

Possible implications of federal WFH may include: 

• More countries implementing WFH policies and work flexibilities for their government employees.
• Increased investments in infrastructure, cybersecurity, and equipment that will support telework.
• More government employees demanding flexible working arrangements similar to the corporate sector.
• Governments accelerating their digitization projects to limit the number of employees required to be onsite.
• Public services becoming more self-serve and accessible as governments replace client-facing departments with kiosks and chatbots.

Questions to comment on

• How else do you think federal WFH will change how people access public services?
• How can governments make it easier for their staff to telework?