REMOTE Act

This bill, the Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act (REMOTE Act), mandates that each Executive department establish policies to collect and report data on teleworking employees. Within 180 days, departments must implement policies for recording login activity and network traffic of teleworking employees, with managers periodically reviewing this data. Within one year, departments must begin retaining specific data, including average daily logins, connection duration, and network traffic generated by remote teleworkers, for at least three years. The Act also requires similar data collection for employees working at headquarters, mandating the use of Personal Identity Verification (PIV) or Common Access Cards (CAC) for login to track their engagement. Annually, Executive departments must publish this aggregated data in their budget justification materials, comparing login rates of remote teleworkers to both total approved teleworkers and in-office employees, while protecting personally identifiable information. This aims to provide transparency and insights into telework utilization across the federal workforce. Additionally, the REMOTE Act amends existing law to enhance reporting by Chief Human Capital Officers (CHCOs) on telework management, including any adverse effects or disciplinary actions. A key amendment requires managers to provide detailed written information to human capital offices and affected employees when telework privileges are revoked for employee-specific reasons. This documentation must include the employee's telework history, a summary of the circumstances leading to the revocation, and any prior disciplinary actions.