Comer, Sessions Probe Federal Agency Responses to OMB Telework Guidance - United States House Committee on Oversight and Accountability

WASHINGTON—House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce Chairman Pete Sessions (R-Texas) are today furthering the Committee’s oversight of federal agency performance, including the impact of agencies’ telework policies on agency missions by requesting information related to agencies’ implementation of the Biden Administration’s Office of Management and Budget’s (OMB) guidance (M-23-15 memorandum). OMB’s memorandum requests agency data pertaining to telework and remote work policies as well as plans to increase in-person work. In a letter to OMB Director Shalanda Young, the lawmakers are requesting documents and communications to understand federal agencies’ responses to guidance issued in OMB’s memorandum.

“The Committee on Oversight and Accountability is conducting oversight of agency telework policies and their impact on agency missions. As part of this oversight, we seek an update on the implementation of Office and Personnel Management memorandum M-23-15, Measuring, Monitoring, and Improving Organizational Health and Organizational Performance in the Context of Evolving Agency Work Environments, to include progress in increasing in-person work,” the lawmakers wrote.

Oversight Committee Republicans are calling on federal agencies to be transparent about the impact of expanded telework on agency performance. In May 2023, House Committee on Oversight and Accountability Republicans, led by Chairman James Comer (R-Ky.) and Reps. Pete Sessions (R-Texas) and Lauren Boebert (R-Colo.) sent letters to 25 federal agencies conducting oversight over telework and remote work rates and policies. In the letters, the lawmakers requested information on the levels of telework and its impact on performance and service. In response to the Committee’s request, the agencies provided little quantitative data underpinning their telework and remote work policies.

“It stood to reason that in the wake of OMB publishing M-23-15, agencies would be compiling the data we requested. […] Yet, even after a protracted delay in providing any response at all, agencies generally produced very little quantitative data underpinning their telework and remote work policies. While the Committee continues our efforts to obtain substantive responses, we assume these agencies have been more responsive to your agency,” the lawmakers continued.

OMB’s M-23-15 guidance also outlines the “expectation… agencies will continue to substantially increase meaningful in-person work at Federal offices…” Oversight Committee Republicans are calling on federal agencies to be transparent about their plans to increase in-person work.

“In the July briefing, OMB stated it anticipated ‘establishing a minimum of 4-6 days in-person per pay period or existing expectations already in excess of 6 days per pay period due to ongoing mission needs’ at agency headquarters. It is important to understand the status of in-person work plans, so we seek updates regarding these as well,” the lawmakers wrote.

Read the letter to OMB Director Young here.