News

Telecommuting still illegal for US contract employees?

An astonishing legal anomaly which prevents US contract workers from telecommuting while working for the Government, is being repealed.

According to the specialist Government Computer News publication, the current legal situation is that agencies can penalise contractors who use mobile comms technology to work off-site. A new Bill just went through Congress to prevent this discrimination - and now has to go to the Senate.

The anomaly is caused by the way Government agencies measure the productivity of contract workers, based on attendance at the work site. "It's just the way it has always been done," said one contractor.

CGN reports: "The subcommittee has been encouraging the development and promotion of telecommuting policies in the federal government," according to proposer Tom Davis. "The federal government should be a telecommuting leader. Unfortunately, federal agencies have been reluctant to embrace the concept. It's time for federal managers to shift their focus from process-oriented performance measurements to results-driven measurements."

The House passed the Freedom to Telecommute Act of 2002 by a vote of 421-0, reports CGN.