Flexible work policies are a strategic business tool used by both the public and private sectors to enhance an organization’s ability to recruit and retain top talent. They also lead to increased employee productivity and potential cost savings from a reduced real estate footprint. 

Moreover, federal telework policy represents a long-standing, bipartisan federal workforce strategy that supports our government’s ability to effectively deliver services to the public. While the COVID-19 pandemic increased the amount of federal telework and remote work, many agencies have had policies enabling these work flexibilities since at least the passage of the bipartisan Telework Enhancement Act in 2010. Over the past decade, about half the federal workforce has been eligible to telework. 

As the data in this document highlights, telework isn’t the overwhelming work posture of federal employees, but rather one used as determined by agency leadership.