The District government offers its employees flexible scheduling options, which include compressed work schedules, flexible work hours, and telework. Subject to supervisory approval, employees may select one or more of these flexible work options so as long as they do not negatively impact agency services or personal performance. This DPM instruction outlines these programs, and disseminates the required forms and telework agreement, if applicable, that must be completed.  

Compressed Work Schedule

With a compressed work schedule, an employee works more than eight hours per day and, in exchange, works fewer than 10 days per pay period. With supervisory approval, the following compressed schedules may be authorized for employees: 

1. Nine-day work schedule. Employees may work five days one week and four days the next, within a single pay period, for nine days total. With this schedule, employees will work eight 9- hour shifts and one 8-hour shift during the pay period: a total of 80 hours bi-weekly.
2. Eight-day work schedule. Employees may work four days each week, within a pay period, for eight days total. With this schedule, employees will work eight 10-hour shifts: a total of 80 hours bi-weekly. 

Flexible Work Schedule

1. With a flexible work schedule, an employee may alter the start and end times of the tour of duty, provided the hours worked include the agency’s core hours and the schedule is approved by his or her supervisor or manager in writing. Supervisors and managers are responsible for ensuring adequate coverage for customer service purposes during the agency’s business hours.

   NOTE: Core hours are the time periods during the workday, workweek, or pay period that are within the tour of duty during which an employee under a flexible work schedule is required to be present for work.

   For example, an agency has core hours between 9:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. An employee could be approved to work 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., with a 30 minute lunch period. This is because the tour of duty covers the core hours of 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. Alternatively, a manager may approve a tour of duty of 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., provided there is adequate coverage for business operations.

2. Employees are limited to selecting a single tour of duty. That is, an employee may not select differing tours of duty for different days. An employee authorized to work 7:30 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. is required to work this same tour of duty every day. Additionally, a flexible schedule may not begin prior to 6:00 a.m., nor end after 6:00 p.m.

Telework

Telework is a workplace option that benefits employees, employers, and the public alike by lessening commuting costs for workers, reducing the need for dedicated workspace, reducing traffic congestion, and by reducing commute-related pollution. The general summary, requirements, and restrictions of routine telework include the following:

General Summary

Routine telework is a pre-approved, written arrangement in which an employee can perform officially assigned duties at the employee’s home address on a regular basis.

While the option to telework, if offered, must be offered on an equal basis to all employees in an administration, office or unit, employees must be aware that this arrangement is not an entitlement.

Prior to an employee being approved for telework, the immediate supervisor must determine if the duties of the employee’s position are appropriate for telework. For instance, an employee who consistently provides face-to-face service to customers or clients likely is not a good candidate for telework.

Requirements 

If on an approved telework agreement, the employee must be able to report to his or her official worksite, if requested to do so by the immediate supervisor, within a time period as prescribed by the agency. As an example, an agency may require its teleworking employees to report within two (2) hours following a request to attend a mandatory meeting, due to an emergency situation, etc.

Employees who telework are required to respond to all emails and phone calls within a time frame as designated by the agency. For instance, a department may require that its employees respond to calls/emails within 45 minutes of receipt.

Restrictions

An employee is ineligible to participate in telework (including Situational Telework, as discussed below) if he or she:

• Failed to receive written approval in advance from his or her supervisor/manager, the agency head, and the personnel authority, if applicable;
• Received a rating of Marginal Performer (Level 2) or lower on his or her most recent official performance evaluation; or
• Is on a Performance Improvement Plan.

Telework is limited to two (2) days per week unless approved in advance and in writing by the employee’s supervisor/manager, the agency head, and the personnel authority. An agency submitting a request to the personnel authority to approve telework in excess of two (2) days per week must complete the following process: 

• Subordinate agencies must submit a memorandum (sample memorandum attached) to the Director of DCHR requesting approval to allow an employee(s) to telework for more than two (2) days a week; inclusive of rationale for the extended telework; and
• Scan and transmit signed copies of the memorandum and DCSF No. 12-02 to DCHR via [email protected]. 

Unlike routine telework, which is part of an employee’s regularly scheduled tour of duty, situational telework is a temporary arrangement (of no more than three (3) consecutive workdays) that is also approved by the employee’s supervisor or manager in writing. Though temporary, a manager or supervisor may, at his or her discretion, limit the number of instances in which an employee may utilize situational telework over a period of time (i.e. in a month, year, etc.).

While not limited to the following, examples of situational telework include doing so for the purpose of completing a project or report; due to an injury or illness; due to a home repair emergency; or, for activated emergency employees, due to a declared emergency. Below are general descriptions of the situational telework  options: 

Special Project or Report

On occasion, an employee may have a short-term need for an uninterrupted period of time to complete work on a complex project or report.

Illness or Injury

An employee recovering from an illness or injury who is temporarily unable to physically report to his or her official work site, but is physically and mentally capable of performing his or her official duties remotely, may be approved for situational telework.

Home Repair Emergency

If an employee needs to be home for maintenance or repairs, situational telework may be approved provided the employee can carry out his or her duties remotely and the employee’s involvement in the maintenance and repair is incidental. For example, an employee may be approved for situational telework to be present for an electrical repair emergency or for a delivery of equipment for a heating repair emergency. However, an employee may not be approved to assist his or her sister or brother in painting a bedroom.

Case-by-Case Basis

On a case-by-case basis, a supervisor or manager may allow an employee to use situational telework in instances other than those referenced above. In these cases, employees continue to be restricted to a maximum of three (3) consecutive days, except during declared emergencies.

Situational telework may be used separately from routine telework. This means that an employee may submit the application and the telework agreement (for situational telework) to the appropriate agency staff for approval even if he or she was not previously approved for routine telework. Employees on situational telework are still required to have a Virtual Private Network in place (as discussed in this instruction). 

An emergency employee is designated as such by his or her agency head, and may be selected from all employment status categories (i.e., including but not limited to, MSS, Career Service, etc.). Typically, emergency employees provide advice, recommendations, and specific functional support necessary for the continuity of operations during a declared emergency. They would also be required to report to work, remain at work or telework (if they are directed to do so) during a period of a declared emergency. Upon designation, an emergency employee wishing to utilize situational telework must follow the eligibility and application process outlined in this instruction.  

Unified Application

Except as provided in the “Situational Telework” section above, an employee seeking approval to participate in any of the flexible work options referenced in this DPM instruction must complete the attached application (D.C. Standard Form No. 12-02, Unified Flexible, Compressed and Telework Application). The employee’s application must also be approved in writing by the agency head (or designee) and his or her immediate supervisor. 

Telework Agreement 

In addition to the unified application, employees wishing to telework, whether routine, situational or both, must also execute a telework agreement. The agreement is on the reverse side of the unified application and must only be completed by those employees that have been approved to telework.

VPN Access – Telework and Situational Telework

Provided an employee’s position is suitable for telework, to qualify, the employee must have an active Virtual Private Network (VPN) account and a working computer, high-speed internet, and a phone at the telework location.

An employee on a compressed schedule or telework should appropriately report his or her time in PeopleSoft. Regardless of which work option is chosen, time entry in the system should indicate the number of compressed hours worked or show the day(s) an employee is teleworking. For instance, if an employee works a compressed schedule under the 10-hour module, his or her time entry must reflect 10 hours of “Regular Time,” on 4 days each week of the pay period. Additionally, a timesheet for an employee on routine telework should show the scheduled telework day(s) using the time reporting code (TRC) of “Telework (Routine)-ROTW.”  

As provisions on Situational Telework were recently adopted, the new TRC (“Telework (Situational)- STTW”) in PeopleSoft is shown below [refer to attachment].

District government agencies now have the option of allowing their employees to utilize a combination of the work options referred to in this instruction. Accordingly, agencies may want to consider varying methods to assist with time management, allotment of office space and equipment. 

• If an employee has been approved for routine or situational telework, consider requiring these employees to establish and complete a work plan on a daily basis. The work plan identifies tasks, assignments, projects and initiatives that an employee has been assigned and it assists with time management.
• The agency may want to: (1) include a requirement that a teleworking employee be able to report to work within a specified period of time (for instance 2 hours) following a request from manager; or (2) respond to emails or phone calls within a certain amount of time following receipt (for instance 45 minutes).
• Employees approved to telework more than 2 days a week (with the approval of the personnel authority) should not have a dedicated workspace. Agencies should consider the shared workspace model opposed to individual workspace. 

Once the application for a flexible work arrangement has been approved, the completed application form and any required telework agreement, if applicable, must be forwarded to the agency Telework Coordinator (or alternate Telework Coordinator) for processing.  

The table below contains the links to access the various form(s) referred to in this instruction:  

Employees and managers may obtain additional guidance from the following reference materials:  

• Section 1211 of Chapter 12, Hours of Work, Legal Holidays and Leave
• Telework General Information Guide at DCHR intranet site
• Telework Information Center at DCHR intranet site

• D.C. Code § 1-612.01 et seq.
• Subtitle B of Title 6, Chapter 12 of the District of Columbia Municipal Regulations  

Employees, managers, and supervisors can obtain additional guidance relating to recording time in PeopleSoft from their agency timekeeper, Payroll Supervisor or Quality Assurance Liaison (or equivalent). Additionally, questions concerning telework can be directed to your agency Telework Coordinator (TC)/alternate TC, or Philip Mancini, the District’s Telework Coordinator by calling (202) 442-9661, or via email at [email protected].