PURPOSE

Pursuant to the requirements of Section 359 of Public Law 106-346, Public Law 111-292, and guidance issued by the Office Personnel Management, the Advisory Council on Historic Preservation (ACHP) adopts this telework policy effective 1 April 2013. The policy establishes standard procedures for the administration of telework at the ACHP, removing managerial, logistical, organizational, or other barriers to ensure full and fair implementation of telework where appropriate. The ACHP will provide eligible employees with an opportunity to telework to the maximum extent practical when doing so is consistent with its mission and will not diminish employee or organizational performance.

BACKGROUND AND STATEMENT OF BENEFITS

It is the goal of the ACHP to organize and carry out its work in as effective and efficient a manner as possible, and to provide flexibility and incentives to its employees to telework consistent with other government-wide policy, legal, and resource constraints. Benefits of a telework agreement include but are not limited to the following: energy or environmental conservation, savings in commuting costs, the need for an uninterrupted work environment, agency cost or space savings, improved access to federal employment by the disabled, providing reasonable accommodations for disabled employees, increased productivity, employee motivation, organizational flexibility, and the continuity of operations during emergencies or closures.

SCOPE

The telework policy applies to all supervisory and non-supervisory employees where there is adequate staffing to provide the office interaction necessary to fulfill the agency mission and support internal and external customers. These provisions do not apply to supervisory and non-supervisory employees serving probationary trial periods, supervisory and non-supervisory employees transferring from one office to another, for student interns, or temporary employees unless an exception is authorized by the Executive Director based on operational need. Telework is a privilege, not a right. Telework is an individualized, structured program requiring a formal written agreement between the ACHP and the employee and approval by management. The supervisory and non-supervisory employee’s work has to be portable in some respect to be compatible with the program. Participants in the telework program have to maintain or improve upon the level of agency effectiveness and customer satisfaction that existed prior to participating in the program. Participation in the telework program is voluntary and subject to supervisory approval in accordance with the eligibility standards found on pages 5 and 6.

The operating assumption is that every supervisory and non-supervisory position is eligible to telework unless a supervisor finds that the nature of the work, the effect on service to external and internal customers, competing work schedules, or current job performance of the incumbent in that position would make teleworking inadvisable or infeasible. Other exceptions include supervisory and non-supervisory employees serving a probationary period (12-month exclusion), supervisory and non-supervisory employees transferring from one office to another (six-month exclusion), student interns, or temporary employees. If a supervisor determines a position is ineligible for telework, the Executive Director can waive these restrictions where appropriate.

For purposes of telework the alternate worksite is considered to be the same as the Official Duty Station of an employee who teleworks.

RESPONSIBILITIES

Supervisor Evaluating requests to participate in the telework program in a fair and equitable manner. Approving or disapproving requests to participate in the telework program, including approval on a trial basis when appropriate. Terminating, modifying, or temporarily suspending telework agreements for a mission-related reason and/or employee performance issues.

• Ensuring that a telework agreement is completed and signed prior to allowing an employee to participate.
• Establishing communication requirements and methods to ensure that the employee is aware of