Vol. 3 | July 2021

Message from Leadership

The Biden Administration asked federal agencies across government to beg

to plan for the “Future of Work.” This effort recognizes that the Departme

of Labor was able to successfully execute much of its mission under maximum

telework during the pandemic, and that we should apply lessons learned to

shape the way we work in the future.

More than 800 DOL employees registered to participate in a “Future of Wor

listening session. By this week, DOL will have conducted approximately 55

different listening sessions across the country with employees, DOL lab

unions, DOL affinity groups, and supervisors. A tremendous thank you

those who were willing to contribute their feedback and ideas during these

sessions that will help shape the “Future of Work” at DOL.

Key themes from the sessions thus far include:

Appreciation to all DOL employees for quickly pivoting to telewor

help the Department achieve its goals during an incredibly challenging

tim

Recognition that early and continual engagement with the

workforce will help to create a successful approach for the Department

and its employees;

Increased interest in expanding telework and other workplace

flexibilities based on the experience over the past year; 

Administrative challenges to changing the way we work (e.g., spa

management, equipment and supplies, and more).

We look forward to engaging you further as we work toward building the

Department’s “Future of Work” plan. In the interim, if you have any questio

or additional comments, please feel free to email us a

Contact.OASAM@dol.gov.

— Rachana Desai Martin, Deputy Assistant Secretary for Poli
In Case You Missed It

Here is a quick recap of the latest COVID-19 information a

guidance sent to all DOL employees:

Remote Work Resources

Updated Physical Distancing Guidance

Vaccination Information and Resou

Additional information, including Employee Messages, are posted on

DOL COVID-19 LaborNet page. If you have questions, please visit the F

page, or contact us at: COVID19Questions@dol.go

Employee Spotlight: Timmy Nguyen,

OFCCP (Philadelphia Region)

“When the COVID-19 pandemic hit our

community and this country, I saw firsthand t

effect of COVID-19 and the toll it took on t

medical field. I wanted to show my apprecia

to the doctors and nurses on the frontline at

the Children’s Hospital by delivering 250+ fresh

and hot meals from a local restaurant in

Richmond, VA in June 2020.

In December 2020, the pandemic was sti

ongoing and hospital emergency rooms were at

capacity in Richmond. Many kids in the community were at home learning

remotely and no longer had access to their free or reduced-price lunch. I

knew it was on me to do what I could, and that was to go out and deliver

500+ meals to our front line hospital workers in the Emergency Room at VCU

Health. I also delivered food and milk to kids in the neighborhood and to our

local EMT units. No matter the circumstances, it was incredibly important f

me to let our frontline healthcare workers know that we are all in this

together, we stand by them, and we appreciate the hard work they do every

day. And it was just as important for the kids in our community to know that

they are loved and won’t go hungry. It’s a message to the community that we

all have to come together and give back, because that’s what life is all about.”
Do you know of a DOL colleague making a

difference during COVID-19? Share the sto

with us: DOLCOVID-19Newslette

Did You Know?

The Office of Human Resources (OHR) Division of Workl

and Engagement (DWE) recently developed a repository of

remote work resources that provide helpful tips a

information for the DOL community on working from hom

The available resource topics include: best practices f

remote work, leading and managing remote teams, tips for boos

productivity while working from home, tips for designing and re-desig

your remote work space, and parenting and working from home. For mo

information, please visit OHR’s DWE Telework LaborNet page, or the D

COVID-19 Telework page.

Vaccines: What You Need to Know

The Biden Administration has launched

national public education campaign

Can Do This, to help Americans make

informed decisions about COVID-19

vaccines to protect themselves and their

communities. The We Can Do Th

website contains ample resources to

help you learn more about vaccinati

effort

We encourage you to keep the following in mind when developing your plans

for vaccinatio
Getting vaccinated gets us back to normal. Getting vaccinated is th

way to defeat this virus and get back to safely gathering with family and

friends.

The vaccine is free and available to everyone. Vaccines are available at

no cost to everyone age 12 and older living in the United States,

regardless of immigration or insurance statu

Getting vaccinated is a personal decision. Talk to your doct

pharmacist, or health care provider. Estimates show that 90% of docto

have gotten a shot themselve

The majority of American adults have been vaccinated. They are now

protected from this deadly virus and are on the path back to normal.

Interested in joining the We Can Do This campaign? Learn more about joining

the COVID-19 Community Corps. Additional information can also be foun

the LaborNet COVID-19 webpage: COVID-19 Vaccine Informatio

A Telework Success Story

If you had asked the Office of Acquisition Serv

Head of Contracting Activity, Sandra Foster, 

she thought about telework on March 1, 2020, you

would have gotten a very skeptical response. 

forward to almost a year and a half of maximum

telework and Sandra is singing a different tun

What changed your mind about telework

during the pandemic? Prior to the Pandemic, I

was one of those managers who strongly believed

telework did not work. I thought employees were less productive and we

virtually impossible to manage (no pun intended). I had no desire to

telework. Once thrust into the telework environment, I found my pre

pandemic beliefs were ill-informed. All of my telework WOEs are now

telework WOWs.

What benefits has telework provided to you? The greatest benefit

been the savings of 3 to 4 hours a day in commute time. The hours are n

redirected to work hours and family tim

What tips or tricks do you have for people to make the most out 

telework? Check in often. Make use of the information technology so

that is available to enhance your telework experience.
As in-person work becomes an option in the future, Ms. Foster is looki

forward to continuing to use a telework option as a way to maintain bal

and productivity. Check out the Did You Know section for tips o

telework set up!

Telework

Survey

Results

In December 2020, the Department commissioned

an online survey to better understand D

supervisors’ and staff’s (excluding the Bureau 

Labor Statistics) use and opinions of tele

before the pandemic, during the pandemic, and

upon return from the pandemic. Aggregate survey

results are located on LaborNet and should be

viewed as the results from a single-point-in-tim

December 2020.

Asked & Answered

You asked, and we answered!

Q: Can employees use Dependent Care Flexible Spending

Accounts to cover virtual day care and virtual camps?

A: Yes. Many dependent care providers and summer camps

may be offering virtual services to respond to the call for social distancin

Virtual day care and virtual camps are eligible Dependent Care Flexible

Spending Account expenses. More information on Flexible Spending Accoun

can be found online or by calling 877-FSAFEDS (372-3337); TTY: 866-353-

8058.

Q: Should employees who have already received the COVID-19 vaccine

notify someone? Is DOL tracking the vaccination status of its 

A: At this time, DOL employees and contractors are not required or expect

to notify anyone of their vaccination sta

Q: Can an employee request administrative leave to take a relative 

COVID-19 vaccine appointment?

A: The Department’s policy, Expansion of the DOL COVID-10 Workplace Safety

Plan to Include Use of Administrative Leave for COVID-19 Vaccination, app

exclusively to DOL employees receiving their own COVID-19 vaccinatio

Employees may use other paid leave (e.g., sick or annual leave), as well as
available expanded Workplace Flexibilities to assist family members with the

COVID-19 vaccination appointments. Information on various workp

flexibility options that may be helpful during this time, including other

of leave, can be found on LaborNet.

Q. How does the pandemic affect work-related or personal trave

A. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) provided guidan

on travel for people who have received the full dosage of the COVID-19

vaccine. Pursuant to OMB Memorandum M-21-15, Federal employees should

adhere strictly to CDC guidance for domestic and international travel bef

during, and after travel, regardless of whether the travel is personal or f

official business. All travelers, including Federal employees who are fu

vaccinated, should continue to take health and safety precautions.

travelers are required to wear a mask over their nose and mouth on all

planes, buses, trains, and other forms of public transportation traveling int

within, or out of the United States and while indoors in U.S. transportati

hubs such as airports and indoor train station

While the Safer Federal Workforce Taskforce has provided updated guidance

that lifted government-wide limits on official travel for Federal empl

who are fully vaccinated, DOL is still operating under the DOL Workp

Safety Plan which directs that travel must be identified as mission criti

the DOL Agency Head.

For more FAQs, visit the DOL COVID-19 FAQ LaborNet page!

Interested in Learning More?

We have a number of helpful resources available for you on the DOL COVID19 LaborNet page! Information is updated daily – visit some of the mo

popular links below:

COVID-19 Guidance and Resources Main Page

Workplace Flexibiliti

Telework

Benefits & Wellne

Questions? Please email us at