TELEWORK ENHANCEMENTS Q & AS

Q: What are the enhancement to the Telework program?

A: Employees will be eligible to telework up to 3 days per week (5-4/9 or 

Maxiflex will need to ensure they have 2 scheduled workdays in the office 

each week). There will be one agency-wide engagement day every week on 

Wednesdays, where everyone must plan to be in the office and not be 

teleworking. Teleworking employees may telework when they need to 

unexpectedly care for a dependent. They will need to account for work and 

non-work hours during their tour of duty and take appropriate leave (paid 

or unpaid) to account for time spent away from normal work duties. 

Q: What if I take leave one day during the week, can I still telework 3 days 

during that week? 

A: That is up to your supervisor. Your supervisor has the discretion to approve 

it, but also has the discretion to disapprove it. You should work out your 

schedule with your supervisor and request approval if you want to telework 

3 days during a week when you take leave one day. 

Q: What if there is a holiday during the week, can I still telework 3 days 

during that week?

A: That is up to your supervisor. Your supervisor has the discretion to approve 

it, but also has the discretion to disapprove it. You should work out your 

schedule with your supervisor and request approval if you want to telework 

3 days during a week when there is a holiday. 

Q: Can I telework 3 days per week and also take a situational telework day?

A: That is up to your supervisor. Your supervisor has the discretion to approve 

it, but also has the discretion to disapprove it. Remember situational

telework days are not intended to be regular or recurring. 

Q: What if I am on a 5-4/9 schedule, can I still telework 3 days per week the 

week that I have my AWS day off?

A: No, AWS and Maxiflex employees need to have a regular schedule where 

they will be in the office no less than 2 times per week. 
TELEWORK ENHANCEMENTS Q & AS

Q: Can a supervisor deny a request for a floating telework schedule and have 

their team all be on core telework?

A: Yes, a supervisor can require employees to be on core telework instead of 

floating day telework for legitimate business reasons (e.g. office coverage). 

Q: Can an employee ask for AWS day off on Wednesday?

A: No, an employee cannot schedule their AWS day off on the agency-wide 

engagement day. 

Q: What is the camera policy? What happens if I don’t follow it?

A: Cameras are required to be on, with employee faces visible, except one-onone meetings and very large/presentation style meetings (like the Agency 

All-Hands). Telework is not an entitlement. Failure to follow a telework rule 

could result in suspension and termination of an employee’s telework 

agreement. If an employee fails to follow the camera policy while in the 

office, they can be subject to progressive discipline just like they could for 

failing to follow any other agency policy. 

Q: Can supervisor require employee to turn on camera from one-on-one 

meeting?

A: Yes, if it is important to the supervisor that they see the employee’s body 

language and expressions for a particular one-on-one meeting they can 

require an employee to turn on their camera. 

Q: If you are meeting with FRTIB contractors and not other FRTIB employees, 

does the camera policy still apply?

A: Yes, if you are an FRTIB employee in a duty status doing FRTIB work, you 

must have your camera on whether the contractor does or does not, unless 

the meeting is one-on-one or very large/presentation style.

Q: Do I have to change my transit subsidy if I am approved to telework 3 

days per week? When and how do I do that?

A: Yes, you will need to change your transit subsidy if the number of days you 

are teleworking will change. You can contact Mission Support for 

instructions on how to make the change. 
TELEWORK ENHANCEMENTS Q & AS

Q: How do I apply for 3 days per week? If I am on medical telework do I wait 

to request it?

A: There was a telework modification form that was released on May 9th. All 

employees were required to complete the form, have their supervisor sign 

it and submit it to HRD. For those on medical telework, they should 

complete the modification form requesting the normal telework 

arrangement wanted after their medical telework expires.

Q: Can my supervisor deny my request to telework 3 days per week? What 

can I do if he/she does?

A: Yes, telework is not an entitlement. Supervisors can deny the request for 

legitimate business reasons. If that happens, employees can grieve the 

denial through the administrative grievance process. 

Q: Do engagement days apply to all offices or can an office “opt out” of an 

engagement day?

A: Wednesday is an agency-wide engagement day per agency policy. Offices 

cannot “opt out” of it. It is required for all employees, with limited 

exceptions. 

Q: Can my supervisor require me to come into the office on another day of 

the week that is NOT a Wednesday (e.g., monthly staff meeting on a 

Tuesday)? 

A: Yes. Telework is not an entitlement. Supervisors can require you to come 

into the office on another day of the week that is NOT a Wednesday. 

Q: Can I request leave on Wednesday?

A: Yes, you can request leave on a Wednesday.

Q: What will happen if a holiday falls on a Wednesday?

A: If a holiday falls on a Wednesday, the agency will designate another day of 

the week as the agency engagement day. You will have ample notice of that 

day. There are no federal holidays that fall on a Wednesday until 2024.
TELEWORK ENHANCEMENTS Q & AS

Q: Can I request a situational telework every Wednesday? 

A: No, situational telework is not for regular recurring telework. You many not 

request situational telework every Wednesday. You can request situational 

telework on a Wednesday if you have an unexpected situation that 

warrants it and your supervisor approves it. 

Q: If I am on medical telework, do I have to come in on Wednesdays?

A: Medical telework is not a legal right. It is a policy that permits supervisors 

to grant up to 5 days per week for medical reasons relating to the 

employee or the employee’s family member for a temporary illness or 

injury. Therefore, supervisors can require employees to come in every 

Wednesday or a particular Wednesday while they are on medical telework 

if they have a legitimate reason to do so. 

Q: If I have telework as a reasonable accommodation, do I have to come in 

on Wednesdays?

A: Reasonable accommodations are only for the employee (not for a family 

member) and is a legal right for employees determined to be qualified 

individuals with disabilities. The decision on whether the person does or 

does not need to come in on Wednesdays will depend on the 

accommodation granted by the Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator, 

which involves the interactive process between the employee, the 

employee’s health care provider, the employee’s supervisor and the 

Reasonable Accommodation Coordinator. 

Q: If I have a young children, can I plan to have them stay home with me 

regularly on my telework days and just account for the time I don’t work 

with leave? 

A: No, the dependent care flexibility only applies to situations where a 

dependent is unexpectedly home.

Q: For the time periods that I need to care for my child, can I be granted 

administrative leave or do I have to use my own leave? 

A: You have to use your own leave. Administrative leave cannot be granted. 

We were able to use an exception under regulation that allowed us to grant 
TELEWORK ENHANCEMENTS Q & AS

administrative leave during the early part of the pandemic for childcare, 

but that is no longer available. 

Q: If the government closes for inclement weather and my child’s school is 

closed, would I be eligible for weather and safety administrative leave for 

the day or does this new policy change that?

A: No, since we are changing the policy to allow employees to telework when 

a dependent is at home, under OPM’s weather and safety leave guidance, 

an employee would be expected to account for work and non-work hours 

during his or her tour of duty and take their own appropriate leave (paid or 

unpaid) or other paid time off to account for the time spent away from 

normal work-related duties. We cannot grant weather and safety leave.

Q: If I telework and I don’t carry my computer back and forth to the office, 

do I have to take my own leave if I leave my computer at work and the 

government closes, or do I get weather and safety leave?

A: It depends whether there was a reasonable expectation of the inclement 

weather. Typically, a note is sent out from HRD regarding imminent 

inclement weather reminding employees to take their laptops home. 

Q: When kids are home during a snow closure and there is no power, do we 

use leave?

A: If you have no power due to weather events, it is beyond your control, and 

you can be granted weather and safety leave.