Federal Worker Union Deals Don’t Protect Telework, OPM Says (2)

Federal employees can be required to report to the office full time even if their union contract prohibits it, according to a memo from the government’s human resources division.

Civil service law gives agency leaders the power to decide whether federal employees can work away from the office and for how long, Office of Personnel Management Acting Director Charles Ezell wrote in the Monday notice.

Collective bargaining agreements that allow for telework are “likely unlawful and unenforceable,” Ezell wrote. If agencies decide to negotiate with their unions over in-person work, they should do it after requiring employees to report to ...