EPA REGION III
REPORT ON THE
OFFICE OF REGIONAL COUNSEL
FLEXIPLACE PILOT
January 1997
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903R97037
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1
II. INTRODUCTION 2
III. BACKGROUND 2
IV. FLEXIPLACE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS 3
V. PILOT DESCRIPTION 5
VI. IMPLEMENTATION 6
VII. FLEXIPLACE PILOT COSTS 12
VIII. PILOT PROGRAM FEEDBACK 16
IX. CONCLUSIONS 22
X. ISSUES 24
XI. OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION 26
APPENDICES:
A. Flexiplace Programs in Other EPA Offices ("Flexiplacing at EPA")
B. ORC Flexiplace Pilot Program Guidance
C. Flexiplace Work Agreement
D. Planning and Debriefing Sheets
E. Orientation Agenda
F. Participant Survey Comments
G. Supervisor Survey Comments
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I. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Over the last year, Region III supported an experimental one-year pilot within the Office
of Regional Counsel (ORC) to gather information and data to assist in analyzing the
feasibility of conducting a Flexiplace program within the Region. The pilot included a
total of 21 attorneys and paralegals. About half started at the beginning of the one-year
pilot (Phase I), and the other half began about six months into the program (Phase II)
Fifteen of the participants were approved for "Regular" Flexiplace which involved
working at home one day a week. Six of the participants elected to work at home on an
intermittent basis called "Episodic." (This type of Flexiplace was limited to no more than
ten days per quarter in Phase I and six days per quarter in Phase II.) As part of the
pilot, feedback was collected from the Flexiplace participants, their supervisors, and
their customers before/during and after the one-year pilot.
There were numerous restrictions on the pilot program. Many of these restrictions are
required by the U.S. Office of Personnel Management and EPA Headquarters. Other
restrictions were imposed by ORC themselves to better gauge the type and level of
Flexiplace participation workable within ORC. In fact, throughout the pilot, several
changes were made by ORC management to tighten the restrictions based upon early
feedback and observations.
A major finding in evaluating the pilot program was that there are significant costs
associated with Flexiplace. The direct costs, which included computer hardware and
software, remote LAN usage and higher telephone rates, were estimated at $26,403.
The estimated indirect cost of staff support throughout the pilot program was $43,335.
The total cost for the one-year pilot was estimated at $69,738, or $3,320 per pilot
participant.
There are four significant issues that need to be considered by senior management in
evaluating potential Flexiplace options. These are: benefits/costs, supervisory capacity
to manage various forms of Flexiplace, the extent of employee participation that may or
may not be possible, and potential vulnerabilities that could arise.
Finally, these options are presented for management's consideration: terminate the
ORC pilot and suspend further consideration of Flexiplace at this time; allow the ORC
pilot to continue to gain further experience and information; implement another pilot (in
addition to ORC) in another office or Division; implement a more limited pilot using '
Episodic only, either within an office/Division or throughout the Region; and/or
implement Flexiplace in ORC.
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II. INTRODUCTION
The Office of Regional Counsel (ORC) in Region III conducted a one-year Flexiplace
pilot beginning in May 1995 The purpose of the pilot was to provide information for
senior managers to assist them in evaluating the feasibility of Flexiplace in Region III.
This pilot was conducted on a limited basis and followed the guidance and procedures
established by the Office of Personnel Management (0PM) and EPA Headquarters.
Before, during and at the end of the pilot, feedback was solicited from the participants
and those affected by the pilot through surveys, focus groups and interviews. This
report provides a summary of how Flexiplace originated, outlines the program
requirements, and describes how the pilot program operated in ORC. In addition, this
report also provides a synopsis of the feedback received, the costs involved, and the
issues and outcomes that developed during and after the pilot. At the end of this report,
conclusions are drawn based on the information provided by the pilot.
III. BACKGROUND
In 1992, 0PM led a government-wide pilot project in which Flexiplace was conducted in
14 Federal agencies over a 12-month period. At the end of the pilot in 1993, 0PM
issued its final report which included the authority to allow other Federal agencies to
conduct permanent Flexiplace programs if they chose. OPM's report also included
guidance for Federal agencies to use in establishing their own Flexiplace programs. In
July 1994, President Clinton issued a memorandum calling on agencies to establish
programs that support "flexible family-friendly work arrangements." The President
encouraged agencies to support programs such as flexible and part-time work hours,
child and elder care, in addition to telecommuting which includes Flexiplace (working at
home) and working from satellite locations.
EPA Headquarters was part of the original 0PM experiment and has been using a
limited Flexiplace program in OAR, OARM, OGC and OPPTS since that time. Based on
the guidance from 0PM, EPA HQ established a set of guidelines with restrictions such
as a limit of three Flexiplace days per week, supervisory approval, eligibility ^
requirements for employees, child care requirements, etc. After the end of the original
pilot, EPA HQ established a workgroup with representatives from HQ, Field Offices and
the Regions (with participation from Region III). This workgroup met over several
months to finalize the Agency Flexiplace policy and guidelines. EPA HQ is currently in
the process of preparing a new guidance document for the Agency and will be
consulting with the unions.
EPA Field and Regional Offices were also given the authority from EPA HQ to
participate in Flexiplace; however, they were required to seek approval from EPA HQ
and follow 0PM and EPA HQ's established guidelines. Regions 4, 8, 9 and 10 have
large numbers of participants on Flexiplace; Regions 5 and 6 have small groups of
participants. (See Appendix A for the latest chart listing the EPA offices and the number
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of participants per office.) The other Regions have chosen not to conduct a Flexiplace
program at this time. Also, of the four EPA major field offices, only Research Triangle
Park (RTP) conducts Flexiplace.
In early 1994, the Office of Regional Counsel Region III became interested in exploring
a Flexiplace work arrangement. Working with the Human Resources Management
Branch (HRMB), ORC reviewed a variety of available information on Flexiplace
programs, including the efforts of other EPA Regions and Headquarters. With the
assistance of HRMB, ORC developed a Guidance document for conducting a one-year
Flexiplace pilot in ORC (Appendix B). This Guidance followed the requirements
established by 0PM and EPA HQ ORC and HRMB then briefed Region III senior
managers in September 1994 to seek approval for the one-year pilot. After this briefing,
the senior managers agreed to a pilot program, with the provision that at the end of the
one-year, a report on the outcome of the pilot would be completed. In April 1995,
Region III obtained approval from EPA HQ to conduct a Flexiplace program.
IV. FLEXIPLACE PROGRAM REQUIREMENTS
Flexiplace is an arrangement whereby an employee works an agreed-upon portion of
the work week at home. There are three types of Flexiplace options in the Federal
government:
Regular - A Regularly-scheduled work-at-home arrangement for an established
number of days per week.
Episodic - An ad hoc or intermittent work-at-home arrangement for short periods
of time, to complete all or discrete portions of projects, which are not regular or recurring
in nature.
Medical - A voluntary work-at-home arrangement for certain employees who are
unable to travel to the office due to serious medical disability and/or life-threatening
conditions (either full- or part-time).1
There are numerous 0PM and EPA Agency-wide requirements that must be in place
before an organization can establish a Flexiplace program. These requirements include
the following:
1. Guidelines and procedures must be developed that reflect the policies and
requirements established by 0PM and EPA HQ.
1 Region III currently makes use of Flexiplace for emergency medical reasons;
however, this is limited to cases involving particularized needs of the government for
specific work accomplishment.
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2. Participation is voluntary on the part of individual employees, and
discretionary on the part of individual supervisors.
3. A Flexiplace Coordinator must be designated.
4. Procedures must be established to periodically review and evaluate the
organization's Flexiplace program.
5. A participant must be an EPA employee for at least one year.
6. Participants and supervisors of participants must attend a Flexiplace
Orientation on the basic requirements, obligations and procedures of a Flexiplace
work arrangement.
7. Supervisors must approve the participation of individual employees.
8. Participants must review, sign and abide by a "Work Agreement" (which
includes the supervisor's approval/signature).
9. A set schedule must be established for individual participants (either regular,
flexitime, or compressed) which includes no more than 3 work-at-home days per
., week. (New EPA HQ policy under consideration may limit the work-at-home
days to 2 per week.)
10. "Employee Self-Certification of Time and Attendance Reports" must be
completed by participants biweekly.
11. Participants must have a designated work area at home with sufficient
space, access to a telephone, and limited potential for interruptions.
12. Participants must be able to easily communicate by telephone with their
supervisor and organization during the work-at-home day.
13. Participants must be in a position that lends itself to working outside the
office.
14. Tasks performed at home must be portable with measurable work products.
15. Participants must have clearly defined performance standards and
measurements and a "fully satisfactory" (or better) performance appraisal.
16. Participants must certify that child and dependent care arrangements are
made.
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17. Supervisors and participants must complete a "Recertification Form"
annually (with which a supervisor assesses an employee's eligibility to continue
in the Flexiplace program). .
EPA HQ also recommends that employees who are selected to participate in Flexiplace
also demonstrate certain characteristics. These characteristics are demonstrated by,
for example, employees who are dependable and highly'motivated, work indepen-
dently, demonstrate good time management skills and can deal with isolation.
V. PILOT DESCRIPTION ,
The ORC one-year pilot included Regular and Episodic Flexiplace only since the Region
currently has an emergency "Medical" Flexiplace program in place. The pilot was
broken out into two Phases, each phase lasting six months. The first Phase included
volunteer attorneys and paralegals. Phase II was designed to include additional
attorneys and paralegals as well as supervisors and secretaries for Episodic only. This
phased-in approach was used to allow better control in evaluating the program in
stages, at first using a small group, then expanding into a larger one with additional
types of positions.
Participants could elect to sign up for either Regular or Episodic Flexiplace. (If an
employee signed up for Regular, they could also use Episodic.) Phase II would begin
after Phase I was evaluated by ORC senior management in consultation with all ORC
managers.
An ORC guidance document was prepared to ensure that all details of the pilot were
outlined for all ORC staff involved. This guidance included procedures, responsibilities,
administrative issues, paperwork requirements, eligibility criteria for participants, and
included a complete Flexiplace Work Agreement package (Appendix C). The ORC
guidance set up more stringent requirements for the pilot in addition to those required
by OPM and EPA HQ. These ORC restrictions were put in place to establish controls
and accountability and to better gauge the level and type of Flexiplace participation
workable within the Office of Regional Counsel.
The ORC requirements included the following;
1. Regular Flexiplace participants can work at home one day a week only.
2. Participants must have at least four years in their current profession, at least
two of those with EPA (and of those two years, at least one with ORC, Region
III).
3. Participants cannot switch their Flexiplace day. Also, employees should be
ready to work in the office on their Flexiplace day if needed..
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4. Episodic Flexiplace is limited to a maximum of 10 days per quarter or three
days in any given pay period. (This was later reduced to 6 days per quarter.)
5. Those who sign up for Regular Flexiplace can also participate in Episodic.
6. Participants must complete and sign a "Planning Sheet" and meet with their .
supervisor prior to their Flexiplace day. Participants must also complete and sign
a "Debriefing Sheet" and meet with their supervisor on the next day after their
Flexiplace day (Appendix D).
7. Participants at home must log onto their computer at least once a day and
program office voicemail for messages to ring at home using "Call Notification."
8. Participants must certify that they are not removing any documents from EPA
Region III offices that contain Confidential Business Information (CBI) or Privacy
Act information.
9. Participants and their supervisors must attend Orientation, and complete a
series of surveys at the beginning of the pilot, after 6 months, and at the end of
the pilot. They must also attend Focus Group meetings to discuss the pilot.
10. Participants must call their supervisors at least once on their Flexiplace day.
11. Participants should obtain a government calling card to make long-distance
business phone calls from home.
VI. IMPLEMENTATION
A. Pilot Preparation
Prior to the actual start of the pilot in ORC, several essential steps needed to be taken
in order to prepare the participants and supervisors to begin Flexiplace. These steps
included designating Flexiplace Coordinators, conducting Orientation, and coordinating
equipment needs and administrative arrangements for the participants.
1. ORC Flexiplace Pilot Coordination
Two Region III employees coordinated the pilot program: an attorney from ORC
and a Personnel Management Specialist from HRMB. In addition to drafting the
Regional guidance and briefing managers on the program, the coordinators also
performed the following duties:
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- Conducted three Orientation sessions.
- Ensured that all of the required documents were completed
(i.e. work agreements, safety checklists, and time & attendance reports).
- Responded to various program issues.
- Administered and collected the participant surveys.
- Conducted focus group meetings.
- Evaluated feedback on the program.
- Ensured that all of the participants had all of the necessary supplies and
equipment needed for employees to work at home. (ORC Coordinator)
The above duties are typically the responsibilities of all Flexiplace Coordinators
as mentioned in the EPA HQ guidance.
2. Orientation
A half-day Orientation program was developed and presented by ORC and
HRMB for both participants and supervisors of participants. (See Appendix E for
the Orientation Agenda.) The purpose of the Orientation was to ensure that all
participants knew the requirements and procedures of the Flexiplace program,
what their responsibilities were, and what was expected of them as participants.
In addition, the Orientation provided participants with information on how-to plan
and prepare themselves for working at home and offered suggestions to
supervisors on how to manage a Flexiplace participant. This session also gave
the participants and supervisors an opportunity to ask questions and resolve any
last minute issues before beginning the pilot program,
3. Equipment and Supplies
To participate in Flexiplace, employees needed a personal computer at home,
either personally owned or supplied by the Agency. They also needed a modem,
WordPerfect software, and Reachout software to access the Region III LAN. The
ORC LAN Administrator spent time obtaining surplus PCs, installing and
configuring the software, testing the modems, instructing each participant how to
set up the hardware and software, and troubleshooting any problems with the
setups. Additional support was provided by IRMB staff on the setup and use of
the hardware and software.
Government long-distance calling cards were obtained for all participants. Also,
participants could take supplies such as paper, pens, additional copies of the
Regional and HQ telephone books, etc. to their homes for use on their Flexiplace
day.
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B. Conducting the Pilot
1. Phase I Process
ORC actually began the Flexiplace pilot in May 1995. ORC supervisors selected
volunteer participants after discussions with their staff. One volunteer per
Section was allowed under the pilot in Phase I; however, two Sections were
allowed an additional participant each. These exceptions were granted based on
the long commutes of the two individuals.
Phase I included 8 Attorneys and 1 Paralegal. Of this group, 7 worked full-time
on a compressed schedule, and 2 worked part-time. Six participants elected to
work on Regular Flexiplace schedules, and 3 selected Episodic Flexiplace only.
The employees and their supervisors attended the half-day Orientation, reviewed
and completed .the necessary Flexiplace Agreement forms, and coordinated with
the ORC Flexiplace Coordinator and LAN Administrator to obtain their
government calling cards and set up their computers and/or software. The
participants also completed the necessary pilot evaluation surveys at the
beginning and then six months after the start of the pilot, and attended a focus
group meeting towards the end of the six-month period.
The ORC and HRMB Flexiplace Coordinators conducted a Flexiplace briefing
session for ORC Secretaries so that they were familiar with the Flexiplace
program since they would be working with staff on Flexiplace assisting in such
activities as forwarding calls and retrieving information. ORC senior
management felt that Secretaries could benefit from information on Flexiplace to
assist in conveying a "seamless" office operation to the public while employees
worked at home on their Flexiplace days. One of the issues discussed at the
briefing was that secretaries should refer to employees working at home as
"working at their alternate work station" instead of "working at home."
2. Phase I Issues and Pilot Revisions
At the end of Phase I, ORC management evaluated the results of the first six
months and identified some issues of major concern. As a result of these
concerns, several suggestions were made to the Flexiplace participants for
Phase II to deal with the following issues:
a) There was a hesitancy of co-workers, outsiders and supervisors to call
Flexiplace participants at home.
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To resolve this issue, participants were encouraged to:
- Give home phone numbers to co-workers, supervisors and regular
contacts.
- Use words like "alternate work station" and not "home" so that
others feel comfortable calling the participant's at home.
- Contact clients (excluding opposing counsel) and explain the
Flexiplace work arrangement.
b) It was difficult to keep track of who was in and who was out.
To address this problem, participants were asked to:
- Take the initiative to ensure schedules are readily available to
supervisors, secretaries and others (who may see a dark office).
- Put notes on doors reminding co-workers of Flexiplaee days. (It
was perceived that if the participant was not in the office—he/she
was networking.)
- Send a reminder on the LAN to the timekeeper, supervisor and
receptionist first thing in the morning on the Flexiplace day.
c) In emergency or unexpected situations, supervisors took on more work
because an employee-is not in the office. Supervisors couldn't assign
work immediately or get immediate answers.
To address these issues ORC management suggested that participants
should:
- Check voicemail regularly (at least 3-5 times a day).
- Inform the secretary if a call is expected to take a long time, so
that others can know when the participant is available.
- Make "allies" of program contacts to ensure that they are included
in hot issues/crises when they arise. Ally with the office secretary
or paralegal to set up conference calls.
Participants were also reminded to be ready to work at the office on their
scheduled Flexiplace day if needed.
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3. Phase II Process
After reviewing data and comments from ORC supervisors and participants and
making the necessary suggestions and changes listed above, ORC decided to
expand the Flexiplace pilot program. Regular Flexiplace was expanded to allow
up to two participants per Section; however the participation of the second
employee was at the supervisor's discretion.
Additional changes were also made to the program at this time. In Phase I,
Episodic Flexiplace was not used very much and appeared not to pose any
problems. Therefore, to gain more experience, Episodic Flexiplace was made
available to all ORC attorneys and paralegals in Phase II. Also, the maximum
Episodic Flexiplace usage was reduced from a maximum total of 10 days to 6
days per quarter to avoid any misuse of Episodic (which could be used to mimic
a Regular schedule of 13 days per quarter). The 3 days maximum per pay
period remained the same.
Although the original plan was to allow supervisors and secretaries to use
Episodic Flexiplace during Phase II, ORC management decided not to include
these groups in Phase II. Discussions among ORC management centered on
Flexiplace not being "practical" for secretaries and supervisors whose presence
in the office is viewed by ORC management as important to performing day-to-
day duties and functions; however, ORC management commented that in rare,
special circumstances, Episodic Flexiplace could conceivably be allowed in the
future for these employees.
In Phase II, an additional 10 Attorneys, 1 Paralegal, and 1 Legal Program
Coordinator were added to the pilot. Of the 12 new participants in the pilot, 8
worked full-time on compressed schedule, and 4 worked part-time. Nine used
Regular and 3 used Episodic Flexiplace. These new, Phase II participants
needed to complete the same steps as the Phase I participants mentioned
above, and they also completed surveys and attended a focus group meeting
with the Phase I participants.
The, addition of the new participants into Phase II brought the total number of
participants in the ORC pilot under Phase II to 21. Below is a breakout of all of
the participants by position, work schedule and Flexiplace schedule:2
2Seven additional ORC employees were approved to participate in the Flexiplace
pilot either beginning in Phase I or Phase II; however, one employee left the agency and
six employees ultimately did not work at home during the pilot, either because the
caseload demands did not provide an opportunity to use Flexiplace, or they did not
arrange to have a computer hooked up at home.
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By Position:
Attorneys
Paralegals
Legal Program
Coordinator
Total
Original Phase I
Participants
8
1
9
Additional Phase II
Participants
10
1
1
12
Total Participants
(During Phase II)
18
2
1
21
By Work
Schedule:
Full-time
Part-time
Total
Original Phase I
Participants
7
2
9
Additional Phase II
Participants
8
4
12
Total Participants
(During Phase II)
15
6
21
By Flexiplace
Schedule:
Regular
Episodic
Total
Original Phase I
Participants
6
3
9
Additional Phase II
Participants
"V 9
3
12
Total Participants
(During Phase II)
15
6
21
4. Phase II Outcomes and Remaining Issues
Most of the problems that were identified during Phase I seemed to have been
addressed; however, issues still remained.
Although employees were initially reluctant to call Flexiplace participants at home
and unsure whether the participants were working at home or not, the
participants did follow through with the recommendations listed in paragraph 2
above, and these issues seemed to have been resolved.
However, there seemed to be continuing problems for supervisors in assigning
work and getting immediate access to participants. The participants did follow
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through with the suggestions and changes made to address these problems, but
some supervisors still believed that there were difficulties in assigning work
immediately and obtaining immediate access to participants, especially in work
emergency situations.
A major issue that surfaced within the pilot was the difficulty for some supervisors
in managing more than one or two Regular Flexiplace participants. Even with the
imposition of the Phase II restriction that no more than two Regular participants
per Section were permitted, ORC management felt that for some supervisors/
there were still too many days that Regular Flexiplace participants were out of
the office making office coverage and the supervisory workload more difficult.
VII. FLEXIPLACE PILOT COSTS
Pilot costs included fixed costs such as computer software, modems, and staff time for
program administration, as well as variable costs associated with use of data and
telecommunications services. Detailed records that would permit computation of exact
costs were not maintained, particularly for the variable costs; however, these could be
estimated based on actual rates and reasonable assumptions regarding typical or
average usage. These cost factors are important because of the significant differences
between LAN and telecommunications costs inside as opposed to outside of the office.
A. Computer Equipment and Software
Computer equipment and software necessary to provide access to the Regional LAN
system were made available to all of the ORC Ftexiplace pilot participants. Of the 21
participants, 10 did not have home computers, making the loan of EPA computers
necessary. There was no cost associated with this, however, since the Region had
older model surplus computers in storage. Word processing software was also
provided to participants at no additional cost since the Region has a capacity for this in
its existing site license for this software.
Additional costs were incurred for distributing modems to those who did not have a
modem on their computer at a cost of $160 each. Also, "Reachout" software was
purchased for each participant at a cost of $42 each ("Reachout" is a program that
allows a remote user to access the EPA LAN). There is a $12-per-year maintenance
fee for each user of this software.
Based on these expenses, the estimated costs in this category for the one-year pilot
were as follows:
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COMPUTER EQUIPMENT/SOFTWARE COSTS
Type of Cost:
Reachout Software
License:
Reachout Software
Maintenance per Year:
Modems:
Total:
Cost/Unit
$42/each
12/each
160/each
Quantity
21
21
12
Total
$882
252
1,920
$3,054
B. LAN Access
Remote use of the LAN through computer modem dial-in services involves data
communications charges that are not incurred when the LAN is accessed directly from
the office.
To minimize these costs and to avoid loss of work due to unreliable dial-in connections,
pilot participants were told to use the LAN to read, reply and send messages and
transfer documents only, as opposed to working on documents, or programs "on line."
Since much of the ORC work performed at home involved the creation/editing of large
documents, participants were instructed to transfer documents onto diskettes and work
on them using the hard drive of their home computer rather than on the LAN.3
Based on a sample of Flexiplace participants who live in Pennsylvania and New Jersey,
the remote LAN dial-in rate was $.22 per minute. Assuming that participants used the
LAN one hour per day for mail messages and document transfers, LAN usage would
involve an expense of $13.20 per day. Assuming each participant in Phase I and Phase
II of the pilot used the full number of days available to them for Flexiplace, a total of 654
days would have been spent working outside the office during the one-year pilot period.
Therefore, potential LAN access costs were estimated as follows:
3While this arrangement was satisfactory for the type of work performed by ORC
Flexiplace participants, it would not be adequate for work requiring access to
Regional/National programs or data bases and/or sophisticated high-speed computing.
Dedicated data lines, newer computer equipment, special modems and an upgrade of
the Region's computing capacity would cost at least an estimated $5,000 to $6,000
additional per participant.
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ESTIMATED LAN ACCESS COSTS
Dial-in Charges to 800
number-
.20/day
(1 hour)
654 days
$8,633
C. Telephone Use
In order to conduct Agency business, Flexiplace participants used the "800" Regional
phone number to call the office and were issued a government calling card to call long
distance. Both of these types of calls are charged to the Regional office. Also,
participants were required to use the "Call Notification" feature of the Region's voicemail
system, which involved programming their office phones to ring at home to notify them
that someone had called their office and left a voicemail message.
There are substantial differences in rates for calls made from the office versus calls
rhade from outside the office and charged to the Region's 800 or calling card numbers.
The Region's telephone lines are part of the Federal Telecommunications System (FTS)
network, which receives'substantially reduced government rates for local and long-
distance calls.
Long-distance calls to other area codes (e.g., Headquarters, state agencies, etc.) entail
even greater differences in phone rates. For example, a long-distance call made from
the Regional office to Washington, D.C. costs $.08 per minute to another FTS
subscriber and $.18 per minute to a non-FTS subscriber. By contrast, the same call
made from home using the government calling card costs an estimated $.55 per minute.
For a typical 10-minute call, this could mean the difference between $.80 and $5.50 for
a single phone call.
Similarly, while there is no additional cost for making interoffice calls or using voicemail
from within the office, it costs approximately $.11 per minute for employees to access
and use the voicemail system from home using the 800 number. There are also costs
for calls made by supervisors and coworkers to Flexiplace employees at home, and
additional message units used for the "call notification" feature described above.
No records were maintained that would permit an exact identification of
telecommunications costs associated with the one-year pilot. However, reasonable
assumptions regarding telephone usage (based on the 654 Flexiplace days as
described under LAN access above) and rate estimates based on a sample of
employees living in Pennsylvania and New Jersey can provide an estimate of what
these costs might have been:
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ESTIMATED TELEPHONE COSTS
Type of Call:
Interoffice:
Long Distance
to Washington D.C.:
Call Notification/
Voicemail:
Totals:
Total Extra Cost to
Region
Minutes per Day
70
15(FTS)
15 (Commercial)
20
2 Hours
From Office
No Cost
$785 (FTS)
$1,766 (Commercial)
No Cost
$2,551
From Home
$5,036
5,396
5,396
1,439
$17,267
$14,716
D. Staff Support
A substantial amount of staff time was needed to plan, organize, implement, monitor
and administer the Flexiplace pilot. While it is recognized that some of these were one-
time "start-up" coasts, it is nonetheless important to include them in estimating the overall
cost of the pilot. Staff time involved the following positions, estimated proportion of FTE
(Full Time Equivalency) usage expended by each, and associated salary costs/benefits:
ESTIMATED STAFF SUPPORT COSTS
Position:
ORC Flexiplace Coordinator
ORC LAN Administrator
ORC Supervisory Support
ORC Secretarial Support
HRMB Flexiplace Coordinator
IRMB Support
TOTAL:
FTE
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.1
.6
Salary Cost
$9,585
6,480
9,990
3,375
7,290
6,615
$43,335
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E. Total Estimated Cost
Based on the above, the total estimated cost for the one-year pilot was:
L
TOTAL ESTIMATED COST
Computer Equipment/ Software:
LAN Access
Telephone Costs:
I Total Extra Dollar Cost to Region
Staff SuDDOrt
I TOTAL
Per Participant
$3,054
8,633
14,716
$26,4031
$43.3351
$69 7381
$3.3201
VIM. PILOT PROGRAM FEEDBACK
As part of the Flexiplace pilot in ORC, data was collected at various stages of the pilot
program in order to evaluate the potential use of Flexiplace in Region III. Much
feedback was collected from surveys, focus group discussions and periodic comments
made throughout the pilot. Below is a summary of the type of data and information that
was collected.
A. Surveys
Surveys were used as one vehicle to collect information on the ORC Flexiplace pilot.
These were based on modeJ survey instruments used in Region 8. Three different
surveys were distributed and completed by three different groups associated with the
ORC Flexiplace pilot: 1) Flexiplace participants, 2) clients/customers of the participants,
and 3) supervisors of the participants.
The same survey was distributed to the individuals within the groups mentioned above
at three different points during the course of the pilot. A survey was completed by each:
1) prior to the start of the pjlot; 2) after six months into the pilot (or after Phase I); and 3)
at the end of the pilot~the next six-month period (or end of Phase II). The purpose of
distributing a similar survey at these three points during the pilot was to gauge any
change, for example, in the quality of work as rated by the participants themselves, the
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17
participants' supervisors and/or clients/customers of the participants. Below is a
summary of the findings of each group: 1) Flexiplace participants, 2) clients/customers
of the participants, and 3) supervisors of the participants:
1. Flexiplace Participants
There were several questions asked of Flexiplace participants regarding their
work, individual costs, personal life, work environment, transportation and overall
comments related to the Flexiplace pilot. For most of the questions, the
response choices were either:
A. Decline/Decrease
B. Slight Decline/Decrease
C. No Change
D. Slight Improvement/Increase
E. Improvemept/lncrease
For almost half of the questions, the participants responded "No change."
However, below is a synopsis of the responses where half or more of the
participants noted a change.
a. Work - All respondents of the survey reported an improvement
or. increase in the efficiency of their work. Over three-fourths of the
participants responded that during the pilot there was an improvement in
the quantity and timeliness of their work. Three-fourths also replied that
there was an improvement in the ability to concentrate on work and in their
overall motivation toward work. Three-fourths of the respondents also
reported that there was an improvement in the convenience of work hours
relative to meeting work-related and personal requirements. More than
half of the participants responded that during the pilot, there was an
improvement in the quality of their work, interest in their work, and level of
creativity/ initiative in their work. More than half also indicated an
improvement in the flexibility of their schedule and in their chances for a
fulfilling career. However, more than half responded that there was a
decline in the access to job-related material or equipment.
b. Personal Costs - For three-fourths of the respondents, there
was a decline in transportation and job-related miscellaneous costs.
c. Personal Life - All those who responded to the survey replied
that there was an improvement in the quantity of personal time available.
d. Work Environment - Almost half of the participants reported an
improvement in their overall work environment, such as
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18
furnishings, space, comfort, and health. Two-thirds noted an increase in
the freedom from distraction at the Flexiplace site.
c. Transportation - Although most of the participants use public
transportation, two-thirds noted an overall reduction in the use of vehicles
(cars, vans or light trucks) during the pilot.
Overall, the ORC participants generally found Flexiplace very desirable with
regard to transportation, personal costs, job performance and satisfaction,
personal life, work arrangement and overall quality of employment arrangement.
In addition to the above responses, there were several questions on the
participant survey asking for specific comments. These questions and comments
are listed on Appendix F.
2. Flexiplace Clients/Customers
Flexiplace participants were asked to select three clients/customers and have
them complete the surveys. The clients/customers selected were those who
regularly receive services, work products, and consultations from a Flexiplace
participant, and who have been receiving these services for at least three months
prior to the Flexiplace project implementation. After completing the brief survey,
they were instructed to forward them immediately to the Flexiplace Coordinators.
The clients/customers evaluated the Flexiplace participants on their quality,
quantity, and timeliness of their services; interpersonal disposition;
availability/accessibility; and effectiveness of communications. The response
choices were:
A. Excellent
B. Somewhat more than satisfactory
C. Satisfactory
D. Somewhat less than satisfactory
E. Unsatisfactory
For all of the categories that participants were rated on, most of the clients/
customers responded either "Satisfactory," "More than satisfactory," or
"Excellent," with the majority of responses rated "Excellent."
In comparing the change of responses from the beginning of the pilot to the end,
there were no significant differences noted. However, there was a slight increase
in the ratings for quantity and timeliness of the participants' services. But there
was also a slight decrease in the ratings of the responses regarding the
availability/accessibility of the participants.
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19
3. Supervisors of Participants
All supervisors of Flexiplace participants were asked to complete surveys
on all of their employee(s) participating in the pilot. Supervisors rated the
participants on several items within such categories as: amount of leave
used by employee during the pilot; level of effort and difficulty supervising
a Flexiplace vs. a non-Flexiplace employee; the quality of the participant's
work, communication and relationships; and the feasibility of Flexiplace in
his/her organizational unit. For most of the questions, supervisors could
choose one of the following in response:
A. Decrease
B. Slight Decrease
C. No Change
D. Slight Increase
E. Increase
For almost three-fourths of the questions, there was "No Change" noted in the
above categories.
For those categories where a change was noted, one-third of the supervisors
(who supervised Flexiplace participants) reported an increase in the level of effort
and the level of difficulty in supervising a Flexiplace employee. Also, one-third of
the supervisors reported a decline in the availability/accessibility and
effectiveness of communications between the employee and the supervisor, and
between the employee and his/her co-workers and clients. Regarding feasibility,
the supervisors noted that Flexiplace is feasible within their organization unit;
however, one-third of the supervisors added that the program could use some
modifications.
Supervisors made several comments specifically in response to survey questions
on the feasibility and desirability of Flexiplace within their organizational unit.
These comments are listed in Appendix G.
B. Focus Groups
Focus Group meetings were conducted by the ORC and HRMB Flexiplace Coordinators
in September 1995, June 1996, and July 1996. The participants and the supervisors of
participants met in separate groups to discuss how Flexiplace was working, and if there
were any comments, concerns, issues, or unexpected problems. Below were some of
the comments and issues discussed within each group:
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20
1. Flexiplace Participants
Overall, the participants commented that the pilot was going pretty well and they.
had experienced no major problems Below were specific comments made
during the discussions:
- Too much information is required; would like to see if the "Planning or
Debriefing" sheets can be shortened, eliminated, or at least put on the
LAN.
- Flexiplace is good for concentrating and reviewing long documents.
- Able to do much more work (due to less distractions and lack of
commuting).
- As a part-time employee, I now am able to work more hours using
Flexiplace than I would have otherwise.
- End up working longer at home on the Flexiplace day.
- Others don't realize that we are working at home on our Flexiplace day.
i
Although there were some computer problems and the home computers are
slower, the participants reported no other problems in any other areas.
2. Supervisors of Participants
Although not all supervisors were present for the focus groups, those who
attended commented that the pilot was working well for the most part. Below
were some specific comments mentioned during the discussions:
- Episodic Flexiplace works well.
- For most participants Regular Flexiplace works fine; however, for some,
it doesn't seem to work out as well.
- Although Flexiplace is working fine, there should be a limited number of
employees using it.
- An employee should work for a particular supervisor for at least one year
before participating in Flexiplace.
- Flexiplace is generally not appropriate for supervisors and secretaries.
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21
- Extra meetings with the participants (reviewing the briefing sheets) eats
into the supervisor's time. (A suggestion was that maybe the briefing
sheets can be included on the LAN )
- With part-time, flex-time, and travel, it is difficult to get a hold of people.
- Don't have immediate access to the employee at home.
- When participants get called at home, they sometimes don't have the
information that they need at home.
- It may be hard to say "no" to potential (or current) participants.
- Supervisors will need additional guidance and criteria for selection or
non-selection of participants after the pilot.
C. ORC Senior Management Feedback
ORC Senior Management was interviewed following the pilot period for overall
feedback. Reactions were consistent with those that had been expressed by staff and
supervisors during and after the pilot. The following observations were provided:
- The value of Flexiplace to participating employees was evident. Particularly for
a few employees who normally commute great distances, the personal benefits were
viewed as substantial,
- To the extent that Flexiplace made individual employees happier, this was
viewed as a positive aspect of Flexiplace. However, any gains in productivity were
probably perceptual. There was no hard data to confirm that increased morale
necessarily made any notable difference in the amount or quality of work produced.
- While the benefits of Flexiplace was enjoyed by employees, there was a cost to
supervisors, who expressed concerns with the increased demands and complexity
involved in supervising even one or two employees on Flexiplace. Expanding
participation beyond this level was viewed as unmanageable if the same number of
Flexiplace days and compressed work schedules were involved.
- At the conclusion^ the pilot period, there were lingering concerns about the
amount of absence from the office, even with the limitations instituted in the pilot. If the
pilot were extended, this might require employees to select between compressed work
schedules and Flexiplace involving more than one day per pay period.
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22
- Although the reasons are unclear, there did not seem to be as many concerns
with Episodic as with Regular Flexiplace. It could be that it was just not used as much,
or perhaps the project nature of the assignments in these cases lent itself better to
working at home.
- Caution was urged in extending ORC's experience directly to other
organizations in the Region. The small size of the organization and unique,
homogeneous nature of ORC's work may have been a factor in the degree of feasibility
that was experienced Implementation issues, particularly surrounding selection/
nonselection for participation, could be substantially more complex and difficult in larger
organizations with a greater variety of job functions and position levels.
IX. CONCLUSIONS
The ORC pilot did not provide definitive answers to all questions concerning the
desirability or feasibility of Flexiplace in Region III. It did, however, provide much useful
information from which some preliminary conclusions can be drawn. It also helped to
identify some of the major issues that will need to be addressed in considering potential
Flexiplace options.
A. Costs
One of the more striking findings of the pilot is that there are substantial costs to
Flexiplace. It may commonly be perceived that Flexiplace is cost-neutral, but this was
not found to be the case. In addition to the more obvious but minor out-of-pocket
expenses associated with the purchase of modems and software, there were much
more significant ongoing costs associated with FTE resource expenditures for program
administration and increases in data and telecommunications charges to the Region.
An estimated one-year cost of $69,738 for 21 participants is not insignificant. Clearly,
Flexiplace involves both financial and FTE utilization trade-offs that must be considered.
The source of funding for these expenses as well as impacts of staff time utilization on
program activities would also need to be determined.
B. Limited Participation
Another significant finding of this pilot was that only a very limited amount of staff
participation appeared to be feasible. Even with the limited number of Flexiplace days
involved and the small number of participants in the pilot, it was determined that having
. more than one or two employees per section Regularly on Flexiplace was unworkable.
However, even these limitations failed to satisfy lingering concerns expressed by
supervisors at the conclusion of the pilot, resulting in a conclusion by senior
management that still more restrictions might be necessary for Regular Flexiplace
schedules. In light of these findings, the exjtent and nature of limitations that may be
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23
necessary in considering potential future options may be disappointing to employees.
In addition, such limitations may give rise to a host of potentially divisive issues
concerning selection and approval for participation in Regular Flexiplace.
C. Regular versus Episodic Flexiplace
Throughout the pilot, there appeared to be a difference between reactions to Regular
and Episodic Flexiplace. Feedback indicated few if any problems with Episodic, which
was in contrast to the concerns expressed with the use of Regular. While the limited
use of this form of Flexiplace may have contributed to this outcome, it is also possible
that inherent features of Episodic Flexiplace may lend themselves to smoother program
administration. For example, the specific project nature of assignments approved for
Episodic and their short, temporary duration may have made them more palatable to
supervisors and customers alike. The fact that this form of Flexiplace allowed
supervisors to examine and approve participation on a case-by-case basis may also
have been a significant factor. Possible differences in overall success with these two
different types of Flexiplace arrangements could be useful in considering potential future
options.
D. Impact on Supervisors
Approximately one-third of the supervisors reported either an impact or substantial
impact on the difficulty and,complexity of their jobs as a result of Flexiplace. The extra
time and level of effort involved in planning for and monitoring Flexiplace arrangements
--even with a limited amount of participation was reported by some of the ORC
supervisors to be substantial. In addition to monitoring and oversight complexities,
feedback revealed that occasions arose where supervisors had to "pinch hit" for. .
participants because of an employee's absence from the office. Given the difficulty in
supervising large staffs already expressed by supervisors due to streamlining, this
consideration should not be overlooked.
E. Morale
It was quite evident from survey and focus group findings that Flexiplace had a positive
effect on the morale of individual participants. Morale impact on other employees and
supervisors, particularly those who were precluded from or not approved for
participation, however, was not measured. In order to determine overall organizational
impact on morale beyond individual employees, it would be important to examine this
issue before implementing Flexiplace on a broader basis. For example, given the
limited extent of participation in Regular Flexiplace that appears feasible as described
above, selection of one or two employees out of a section of 15 employees could
generate resentment or questions of fairness among those not selected. Supervisory
morale also could be negatively affected by the pressure from both those approved and
those not approved for participation.
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F. Productivity
The ORC pilot did not include productivity measures that could properly be relied upon
to determine any true impact on productivity. However, the perceptual feedback that
was received indicated an apparent self-perception of improved quality, quantity and
timeliness of work by participants. ("Apparent" is used here because of the obvious
self-interest that could have influenced participants' reporting on these factors.)
Supervisors did not report any overall changes in the productivity of participants, and,
depending on how the data is viewed, customers/clients reported only a modicum of
change in these indicators. Both supervisors and customers noted a decrease in the
availability/accessibility, which must be presumed to have a countervailing negative
effect on overall organizational productivity. In sum, it would be presumptive to suggest
from the ORC pilot that Flexiplace had any impact one way or the other on the
productivity of individual participants, let alone the larger organization.
G. Customer Service
In examining the outcome of any pilot which affects the way internal and external
customers interact with employees, it is vital to examine the ways in which customer
service may be impacted by these changes. Survey feedback from the ORC pilot
revealed little apparent change in overall customer satisfaction with participants' work;
however, a decline in availability/accessibility was noted by both supervisors and
customers. As a practical matter, for instance, customers' calls to a participant's office
phone are not answered in person when they are not in the office. They receive a
voicemail greeting instructing them to leave a voicemail message. The participant is
notified that a voicemail message has been received, but is not able to answer the call
directly. This may be frustrating to some customers. Monitoring efforts would clearly be
needed in any future Flexiplace arrangements to ensure that customer service was not
negatively affected.
H. Environmental Considerations
While they were not extended as a primary reason for undertaking the ORC pilot,
environmental benefits due to decreased vehicle usage are commonly cited as a
positive effect of Flexiplace. Data gathered in the ORC pilot suggested that of the 21
employees involved, most used rail service to commute to the office, and therefore
there would be limited environmental impact for these employees. However, half of the
participants reported some reduction in their overall number of miles driven. If further
pilots are instituted, collection of more specific data on possible emissions reductions
would be desirable.
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25
X. ISSUES
Based on the findings and conclusions emanating from ORC's Flexiplace pilot, a
number of issues surface as being central to informed decision-making concerning the
desirability and feasibility of further Flexiplace studies.
It is recommended that the following issues be discussed and considered in conjunction
with this process:
A Costs
The ORC pilot revealed that there are substantial costs to Flexiplace, both in terms of
financial outlays and resource (staff time) utilization. Therefore, two questions which
must be addressed are:
1. What is the value of any perceived benefits of Flexiplace, and do they justify the
costs?
2. How would the Region fund these additional dollar and FTE costs?
B. Supervisory Capacity
In ORC's experience, Regular Flexiplace places additional demands on supervisors in
terms of the difficulty and level of effort needed to effectively manage even a limited
number of participants.
1. Is it feasible to place additional demands on supervisors?
2. Would this issue be mitigated if Flexiplace were limited?
C. Availability of Participation
Use of Regular Flexiplace was limited to one or two participants per section in ORC's
pilot due to supervisory capacity and other concerns that were raised during the pilot.
Also, supervisors and secretaries were precluded from participating.
1. Is it feasible to pursue a Flexiplace program that would exclude a great majority of
Regional employees?
2 If limited Regular Flexiplace were pursued further, what selection issues might arise?
3. Could Episodic Flexiplace be offered more broadly?
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26
D. Vulnerabilities
The ORC pilot included monitoring controls by the supervisor, including daily
briefing/debriefing sessions, to ensure that employees were working their proper duty
hours. However, other vulnerabilities may also need to be considered:
1. What other vulnerabilities may arise, such as misuse of government equipment and
government calling cards?
2. What controls would be needed to protect against these vulnerabilities, and what
additional costs might these require, such as additional controls and scrutiny to-ensure
the propriety of telephone charges?
XI. OPTIONS FOR CONSIDERATION
Depending on the outcome of discussions surrounding the above issues, the following
options are proposed as being most likely for consideration at this time:
1. Terminate the ORC pilot and suspend further consideration of Flexiplace at
this time.
2. Allow continuation of the ORC pilot to gain further experience, perhaps with
modifications to address specific questions.
3. Allow continuation of the ORC pilot in addition to implementing another
limited pilot within another Division or office.
4. Implement a more limited Flexiplace pilot (e.g., Episodic only), either within a
Division/office or more broadly throughout the organization.
5. Allow ORC to conduct Flexiplace.
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FLEX1PLACING AT EPA
(Chart in Progress)
Office
or Region
OAR
OARM
OGC
OPPTS
Region 3
Region 4
Region 5
Region 6
Region 8
Region 9
Region 10
•
Position .
Exclusions
None
None
None
Support Staff
Supervisors &
Support Staff
None
Supervisors &
Support Staff
None
SES/PHS
None
None
Number of
Episodic
Positions
0
0
15
' 513
3
240
250
Number of
Regular
Positions
10
36
1
104
0
45
« •
10
Number of
Medical
Positions
0
1
0
17
9
15
0
Number of
Flexiplace
Positions
10
37
16
32
30
634
58
12
600
30.0
260
Number
in Office
or Region
1280
37
172
1300
950
1200
1300
053
894
630
Number of
Terminations/
Grievances
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
0/0
2/0
0/0
-------
FLEXIPLACING AT EPA
Office Eligibility
or Region Factors
OAR
OARM
OGC
OPPTS
Region 3
Region 4
Region 5
Region 6
Region 8
Region 9
Region 10
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
ft Of Yrs.
in Program
4
8
2
4
1
2
2
1
1
7
1
Types of
Flexiplace
Participation
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
All
Name of Contact
»
Barbara Pabotoy
Debora Dorsey
Patricia Wash-
ing ton- Millhouse
Barbara Burke
Eileen Burrows
Dick Schutt
Al Nichols
Robert L.
Wilson
Janemarie
Freiheiter
John Duff
Wendy Adams
Contact's
Phone No.
202-260-3880
202-260-9734
202-260-8880
202-260-7136
215-566-5327
404-562-9033
312-886-6565
214-665-6507
303-391-6974
415-744-1549
206-553-2956
Contact's
Fax No.
202-260-5155
215-566-
404-562-9019
•
303-293-1681
415-744-1529
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EPA Region III
Office Of Regional Counsel
APPENDIX B
FLEXIPLACE PROGRAM
FOR FLEXIPLACE PILOT
GUIDANCE
/
/
Environmental Protection Agency, Region I
841 Chestnut Street
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19107
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Fiexiplace Program Guidance for Flexiplace Pilot
Table of Contents
Section
~. Background . 1
II. Purpose 1
III. . Benefits 2
IV. Scope . 2
V. Policy 3
VI. Responsibilities - 3
A. Supervisors 3
B. Employees 4
C. Program Coordinators 4
VII. Guidelines , . 4
A. Definitions 4
B. Selection Criteria 5
C. Appropriate Flexiplace Duties 7
D. Work Agreements 7
E. Work Schedules 8
F. Position and Performance Issues 8
G. Records Management 8
H. Time and Attendance Issues 10
I. Worker's Compensation 11
J. Pay Issues 11
K. Facilities Issues 11
L. Telecommunications and
Equipment ' 12
M. Orientation 12
N. Other Issues 13
VIII. Suspension, Termination and Transfer Issues 13
A. Suspension or Termination 13
B. Transfers 14
IX. Appeal Process 14
Appendix A- Work Agreement
Attachment 1- Employee Self-Certification Time
and Attendance Report
Attachment 2- Taking Hardware Off-Site
Attachment 3- Taking Software Off-Site
Attachment 4- Employee Self-Certification Safety
Checklist
Attachment 5- Supervisor-Employee Checkout List
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I . BACKGROUND
The Flexible Workplace (Flexiplace or F/F) Program is an
innovative management program which provides employees the cppo:
tunity to perform their duties at alternative duty stations
(e.g., satellite locations, employee's residences) during an
agreed-upon portion of their work week. Flexiplace, also known
as flexible workplace, work-at-home, telecommuting and telework-
ing, refers to paid employment away from the organization's
traditional worksite. EPA Region Ill's Office of Regional
Counsel (ORC) is undertaking a one year Flexiplace pilot.
II. PURPOSE
EPA is expected to be a leader in promoting new methods to reduce
risk and prevent pollution. Commute-based traffic congestion and
associated air pollution emissions can be reduced by applying
alternative work scheduling and worker deployment techniques.
Region III can be a leader in demonstrating the environmental
benefits that accrue from work scheduling flexibility.
Reducing employee travel minimizes greenhouse gas emissions,
hazardous waste generation, and the generation of pollutants re-
lated to exploration, drilling, production, refining, and
transporting of petroleum and petroleum products.
The employees whom EPA Region III attracts, trains, retains and
rewards are essential to the conduct of our work. EPA must
constantly strive to achieve high levels of performance, • ef-
ficiency and productivity in conducting the Agency's mission with
the limited budgetary resources available to us. The creative
application of new technology, new organizational configurations,
human resources development, and Total Quality Involvement are
factors in evolving working arrangements which will contribute to
these goals.
In each of these areas - environmental leadership, productivity,
employee welfare - the innovative scheduling of the -times of work
and the deployment of employees to the place of work can
measurably improve the conduct of the public's business and
Aaencv's mission.
-1 -
•Flexiplace Program Guidance
-------
To this end, Office of Regional Counsel of EPA, Region III will
sponsor a one-year pilot project in Flexiplace pursuant to the
guidelines set forth by the President's Council on Management
Improvement, the Office of Personnel Management, and the EPA
Headquarters Pilot Flexiplace Project.
T ~ -
The flexible workplace environment provides a means of responding
to rapidly changing factors that are impacting today's workforce
-- demographic, societal and technological -- and has proven
effective in reducing employee turnover and absenteeism,
improving management techniques, and responding to sociological
and environmental issues. Work-at-home programs already exist in
both the public and private sectors and are showing positive
results.
Flexible workplace arrangements can help put injured, ill, or
physically limited employees back to work. Organizations may be
able to find work that such employees can perform at home or may
be able to "restructure" existing work so that some of it may be
oerformed at home.
IV. SCOPE
A. General
This guidance will apply to all ,EPA Region III, Office of
Regional Counsel employees selected to participate in the one
year pilot program. It will not include employees on
intergovernmental Personnel Agreement (IPA) assignments. Senior
Environmental Employment (SEE) Program staff, contract employees
and reverse IPAs are not eligible for participation in
Flexiplace.
B. Phased Implantation
The Flexiplace pilot project is designed to test and assess the
workability of implementing a Flexiplace work schedule in ORC.
It will be implemented in two phases. Phase I (the first six
months) of the project will include up to thirteen volunteer
staff attorneys/paralegals. The pilot will be evaluated at the
end of Phase I before Phase II may begin. It is expected that
participation will expand beyond the initial group to a level set
by the Regional Counsel in consultation with all managers. It is
expected that Phase II will include supervisors and secretarial
and clerical/personnel, and additional attorneys/paralegals.
-2-
Flexiplace Program Guidance
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V. POLICY
It is the policy of EPA to schedule and deploy our workforce in.
the conduct of the public's business and the Agency's mission, to
provide leadership in promoting environmental quality, to achieve
optimal productivity, and to enhance the spirit, morale, and
welfare of employees.
The decision to use Flexiplace is discretionary by management.
Participation in the Flexiplace Pilot Program is voluntary for
both the individual as well as management. Generally, any
occupation/job involving portable work can be considered for
inclusion in the Flexiplace project. Management will decide
whether the employee and the position meet the criteria and
consider the additional'cost to the organization. Supervisors
and employees participating in the program may withdraw from the
program after providing sufficient advance notice to ensure
management and employees adequate time to plan for reversions
back to a regular work environment and schedule. Reasons for
employee withdrawal or termination by supervisor may include: r.o
longer able to fulfill the agreement, no longer benefits the
organization, transfers to a different position, lost interest ir.
program, no longer benefits employees, etc.
A Flexiplace work agreement will be required for all par-
ticipants, regular and episodic alike. Regular and episodic
participants must attend a mandatory orientation session prior to
beginning their participation.
VI. RESPONSIBILITIES
A. Supervisors will: (1) approve the employees' participation
in the program; (2) develop or amend performance standards
and measurements, if necessary, for work performed away from
the official duty station; (3) assign appropriate work to be
performed at the alternate duty station; and (4) maintain
productivity records and information to evaluate the
program. Supervisors must complete the "Supervisor-Employee
Check-Out .List" (Attachment 5' to Work Agreement) and discuss
the items covered on this list with the employee prior to
signing a Flexiplace work agreement.
-3-
Flexiplace Program Guidance
-------
B. Employees participating will: (1) complete work agreements;
(2) observe agreed-upon hours of work in accordance with
established EPA Region III policies; (3) observe Regional
policies of requesting leave; and (4) safeguard Agency
equipment and use only for official purposes. Employees
must complete the "Employee Self-Certification of Time and
Attendance Report" (Attachment 1 to Work Agreement) and
return it to their supervisor on a biweekly basis.
Employees must also complete the "Employee
Self-Certification Safety Checklist" (Attachment 4 to Work
Agreement), which identifies significant safety standards
that should be met and return it to their supervisor prior
to- entering into a Flexiplace Work Agreement.
C. Program Coordinators (a representative each from HRMB and
ORC) will: (1) Ensure that all participating supervisors ar.d
employees are aware of their responsibilities; (2) train all
participants; (3) maintain copies of all Flexiplace
applications; and (3) -monitor and evaluate the program.
VII. GUIDELINES
A. Definitions '
1. Regular. To minimize isolation and communication
problems and to facilitate integration of the employees with
those in the office, the Flexiplace employee will be
regularly scheduled to work no more than two days per pay
period (one day per week).
2. Episodic. Recognizing that projects may be amenable to
being performed at home, rather than in-an office setting,
Flexiplace will be available on an ad hoc or episodic basis
for short duration of time to complete all or discrete
portion of projects with measurable work products. Episodic
F/P is not to exceed ten days per quarter, or three days in
any given pay period per employee.
3 . Medical. Employees with serious medical- disability
and/or life-threatening conditions may -work at home on a
full or part-time basis. Medical conditions may include,
but are not limited to: recovery from serious injury or
surgery; recovery from cancer; communicable disease; and
KI-related illnesses such as AIDS and ARC.- ORC management
will provide Flexiplace options to enable employees to
remain active and productive while in a bona-fide medical condition.
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,Flexiplace Program Guidance
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B. Selection Criteria.
Up to thirteen employees may be selected to participate in
Phase I of the F/P Pilot Program. Those employees will be
participating in either "Regular Flexiplace," "Episodic
Fiexiplace" or both. To the extent there is interest, one
attorney or paralegal will be -selected from each Section ir.
GRC, along with one attorney/paralegal attached to.the
Branch (cr depending on the Branch organization, an
additional attorney or paralegal from any of the 3 Sections)
and one attorney from the ORC's immediate office. Each
Branch is allowed up to 4 participating employees. The
schedules will be designed to minimize disruption in each
Branch, and to the extent practical, coincide with high -
pollution days. The project, will be evaluated a\t the .end of
Phase I before Phase II may begin.
1. Eligibility Requirements for Regular Flexiolace
For Employees
a. voluntary participation;
• b. the employee must have at least four years in
their current prof-ession, at least two of those
with EPA (and of those two years, at Least one
with ORC, Region III);
c. the employee must have received supervisor
approval for participation;
d. the employee must have clearly defined performance
standards and measurements;
e. the employee's most recent performance appraisal
rating of record must be at least fully
successful;
f. the employee has demonstrated the ability to work
independently;
g. the employee must be willing to sign and abide
by a written work agreement which requires
participation in orientation, focus groups, and
evaluations;
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Flexiplace Program Guidance
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h. the employee must be able to provide an alternate
work location with adequate space, access to a
telephone, and without undue interruption which
could impact productivity;
i. the employee must be willing to log on to the LAN
from home at least once/day on the F/P day;
j. the employee must be willing to program voice-mail
option to have messages forwarded to home on- the
F/P day; and
k. the employee must be able to provide child care,
elder care or other dependent care arrangements
during the time"the employee is working at home.
For Supervisors (of participating F/P employees)
a. the supervisor must be willing to participate in
accordance with the program guidelines, i.e.,
adhere to the work agreement, attend orientation.
2. Eligibility Requirementsfcr Episodic Flexiplace
Same as for Regular Flexiplace. However, the nature of
the work will be:
a. a project, or discrete portion of a project, which
is of short duration, with measurable work prod-
ucts; and
b. of an infrequent or occasional nature (as opposed
to regular and recurring).
Managers, supervisors, and supervisor team leaders are
eligible to participate in Episodic Flexiplace only, subject,
to the above criteria, and must be available by phone during
the.normal work hours at their work site. It is anticipated
that managers and supervisors will only use Episodic
Flexiplace occasionally during a year and that its use: will
be kept to a minimum, since their primary responsibility is
to be readily available to their employees. Employees with
frequent public or internal client contact will be eligible
only for Episodic Flexiplace participation.
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Flexiplace Program Guidance
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3. Eligibility Requirements for Medical Flexiplace
a. the employee has a debilitating illness or health
condition which limits his/her mobility and pre-
vents him/her from commuting to and from his/her
regular workplace. Medical documentation will be
required to support the request. At a minimum,
the medical documentation will include a written
statement from a certified medical practitioner
which includes:
- a description of the employee's medical
condition;
- the approximate duration of the employee's
medical condition; and
- any restrictions which may limit the
employee's ability"to work at home {e.g., the
medical practitioner may prefer that -the
employee work no more than four hours at
home).
b. realistic expectation of returning to at least
part time work in the office within a reasonable
period of time; and
c. job responsibilities with measurable work -tasks
which could be accomplished at home.
i
C. Appropriate Flexiplace Duties have the following
characteristics: work is portable and can be performed
effectively outside of the office; -tasks are easily
quantifiable or primarily project-oriented; work consists of
reading/processing tasks such as reading and writing
proposals and reviews. Appropriate legal work to be
performed at home includes, for example, (1) the review of
enforcement cases, permits, regulations, technical or
scientific reports or plans, records of decision, agency
policy/guidance, (2) the drafting of briefs, memoranda,
policy/guidance, correspondence, litigation reports, case
analyses and (3) the counseling of clients or ORC
management, as needed, by telephone.
D. Work Agreements. Each employee must sign a work agreement
prior to F/P participation that covers the terms and
conditions of the Flexiplace Program {Appendix A). The work
agreement constitutes an agreement by the -employee and
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•Flexiplace Program -Guidance
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his/her supervisor to adhere to the applicable guidelines
and policies. The work agreement covers items such as: the
voluntary nature of the arrangement; length of Flexipiace
assignment; hours and days of duty for each duty station;
responsibilities for timekeeping and leave approval;
performance requirements; proper use and safeguards of
government property and records; standards of conduct, etc.
Work Schedules. Work away from the office will vary
depending upon the individual arrangements between employees
and their supervisors. Flexipiace work schedules must
identify the days and times the employee will work in each
work setting. Work schedules can parallel those in the
office or be structured to meet the needs of participating
employees and their supervisors.
Flextime and Compressed Work Schedules (5-4-9) will continue
to be available to employees.
Position and Performance Issues
1. Position Descriptions. Changes to position
descriptions are not required unless the Flexipiace
arrangement changes the actual position duties. Minor
modifications may be made to reflect the supervisory
controls or work environment factors.
2. Performance Standards. Critical elements and per-
formance standards must be current and have clearly
defined performance requirements that are quantifiable,
measurable and results-oriented. Explicit and
objective "norms" for work output should be based on
experience with those required and sustained in the
office and monitored through scheduled and required
progress reports.
Records Management. All employees participating in the
pilot are required to comply with the following guidelines
on record or duplicate record use when working at Flexipiace
locations. Compliance with these Flexipiace policies will
protect the agency and the employee in the'event of
litigation or government investigation. During an
investigation, all relevant records must be made available "
to investigators and auditors. Title 18, USC, Section 1516
makes it a criminal violation punishable by a fine or
imprisonment to obstruct an audit.
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Flexiplace Program Guidance
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1. Any official record removed for Flexiplace assignments
remains the property of EPA. Additionally, any
official record that is generated from Flexiplace
assignments becomes the property of EPA. Employees
must get written approval from the supervisor prior to
taking official records home.
2. The removal of Privacy Act and other sensitive
information for Flexiplace assignments is subject to
supervisory approval,. When such records are'used by
EPA employees at Flexiplace locations, care must be
taken to ensure that information' is not disclosed to
anyone except those who are authorized access to the
information in order to perform their -duties.
Appropriate administrative, technical, and physical
safeguards must be taken to ensure the security and
confidentiality of these records is -maintained at all
times.
3. At the conclusion of the Flexiplace assignment, or upon
termination of employment, the employee must return the
official record to the EPA Region III office. If the
employee needs this record to complete future
Flexiplace assignments, they must again get written
approval from their supervisor, prior to removal of the
record from the office.
4. When duplicate copies/records used at Flexiplace
locations are no longer needed by the employee, they
must be recycled or destroyed as long as -they do not
contain Privacy Act information. Records in this
category must be returned to EPA' Region III so they can
be shredded. In the event that any information should
be added to or changed in this duplicate record, it
must be added to or changed in the official .record. If
an employee has a duplicate record at home and there is
no longer an administrative need to retain the record,
the employee must obtain permission from their ,
supervisor to retain this duplicate copy for their own
personal use.
5. Confidential Business Information (CBI), Privacy Act
records or national security classified information may
not be removed from EPA Region III offices.
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f texiplace Program Guidance
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K. Time and Attendance Issues
1. Hours of Duty. Employees may work standard schedules
or follow current alternative work schedules depending
upon the agreement between the employee and the
supervisor. The work at the alternative duty station
day(s) is selected by the supervisor and the employee.
No more than two work at home days per pay period (one
day a week) are allowed. (Completely unstructured
arrangements where employees work at home at will, are
not permitted.)
2. Leave. The policies for requesting annual leave, sick
leave, or other absence from duty remain unchanged.
Employees are responsible for requesting leave in ad-
vance from the supervisor and keeping the timekeeper
informed of leave usage.
3. Certification and Control of Timeand Attendance (T&A-.
Proper monitoring and certification of employee work
time is critical to the success of the program. Super-
visors must report time and attendance to ensure that
employees are paid only for work performed and the ab-
sences from scheduled tours of duty are accounted for.
Federal policy and procedures governing certification
of time and attendance require agencies with employees
working at remote sites to provide reasonable assurance
. that they are working when scheduled. Reasonable
assurance will include calling in to the supervisor on
the F/P days and determining reasonableness of work
output for the time spent. Employees must complete the
"Employee Self-Certification of Time and Attendance Re-
port" (Attachment 1 to Work Agreement) and return it to
their supervisor the day following the F/P day or
shortly thereafter. Reports are not required for .pay
periods in which no work-at-home is performed.
4 . Administrative Leave.. Dismissals, Emergency Closings.
Although a variety of circumstances may affect indi-
vidual situations, the principles governing administra-
tive leave, dismissals, and closing remain unchanged.
The ability to conduct work at the location the
employee is scheduled to work (whether at home or at
the office) and the nature of the impediments, deter-
mines when an employee may be excused from duty. That
is, the home site may be unaffected by emergencies that
lead to closing and dismissals at the central office;
the reverse is also true.
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Flexiplace Program Guidance
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I. Worker's Compensation. Flexiplace employees are covered -by
the Federal Employees Compensation Act (FECA) and can
qualify for continuation of pay or workers' -compensation for
on-the-job injury or occupational illness, if injured in the
course of actually performing official -duties at the
official or alternate duty station. Supervisors must ensure
that claims of this type are brought to the attention -of the
EFA Region III Human Resources Management Branch. Any acci-
dent or injury occurring at the alternate duty station -must
be brought to the immediate attention of the supervisor.
Because an employment-related accident sustai-ned by an em-
ployee participating in Flexiplace could occur outside of
the premises of. the official duty station, the supervisor
must investigate all reports immediately following notifi-
cation. Employees must complete, the "Employee
Self-Certification Safety Checklist" {Attachment 2 to Work
Agreement) , which identifies significant -safety standards
that should be met and return it to their supervisory prior
to entering into a Flexiplace Work Agreement being entered
into.
J. Pay Issues
1. Dutv Station. For pay purposes, the "official duty
station" is the employee's Federal office.
2. Special Salary Rates. The employee's official duty
station serves as the basis for determining special
salary rates.
K. Facilities Issues
1. Home Office Space. Employees participating in the
Flexiplace pilot will have a designated work space or
work station for performance of their work-at-home
duties. At a minimum, an employee should be able to
easily communicate by telephone with their supervisor
and organization during the work-at-home day and will
also have" a personal computer in order to log in at
least once a day during F/P days, The Region will
provide supplies and materials for home offices of F/P
participants.
2. Home Utility Expenses. Incremental home utility costs
associated with working at home may not be paid by the
Agency. Potential savings to the -employee resulting
from reduced commuting, meals, etc., may offset any
incidental increase in utility expenses. Exceptions
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•Flexiplace Program Guidance
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apply only where the personal expense directly benefits
the Government (e.g., business-related long distance cr
toll calls en the employee's personal phone).
3. Miscellaneous Expenses. Costs associated with the
copying of work-related materials, fax charges, express
mail, etc. will not be reimbursed by the Agency. Em-
ployees participating in Flexiplace should complete
these duties at the Regional Office, using Agency
equipment, services, and materials.
L. Telecommunications and Equipment
1. Telephone. The F/P participants will apply for
telephone credit cards and should utilize transfer
calls through the ORC phone system if appropriate.
2. Lap-too Computers. Aaencv-owned Equipment, etc.
When available the Region can provide agency-owned
property such as stand alone PCs, software and other
telecommunications equipment which may be used by
employees in their private residences provided the
equipment is used only for official business. Strict
adherence to regulations concerning the safeguarding
and removal of all equipment is essential. Prior
approval must be obtained before any property is
removed from the Agency and property passes issued fcr
each piece of equipment. (See Attachments 2 and 3 -
Region III policies on taking software and hardware cff
site.)
M. Orientation
Specific orientation has been developed for pilot employees
and supervisors participating in the Flexiplace Pilot.
' Orientation will cover Flexiplace policies and guidelines,
as well as personal and occupational aspects of Flexiplace
arrangements. All Flexiplace participants must attend
orientation prior to their initial Flexiplace participation.
1. Employee Topics Include - expectations on personal
responsibility, accountability, time management and
self-discipline; communicating with supervisors,
progress reporting, deadlines, unauthorized
procurement, contracts and meetings with co-workers,
and support personnel; and ways to avoid isolation,
family issues, finding the best home and office work
schedule, image, and self-esteem.
Flexiplace Program Guidance
-------
Supervisor Topics Include - managing for results,
establishing quality and quantity norms, planning,
scheduling and tracking assignments, and milestones;
administration of work schedules, time and attendance
and leave; and supervisory expectations and
communicating with the FLexiplaoe employee.
N. Other Issues
Evaluation. A F/P evaluation will be conduct-ed at
the end of Phase I and at the end of Phase II -to
determine the feasibility and desirability of
continued F/P as an alternative to traditional working
arranoements.
2. Liability. Advice and assistance regarding
official matters involving legal claims or liabilities
should be referred to the Water and General• Law Branch
of ORC. Generally, Flexiplace employees are covered
and may file claims under the Federal Employees
Compensation Act, -the Military Personnel and Civilian
Employees Claims Act, and the Federal Tort Claims Act
for personal injury, property loss/damage, or Federal
employee negligence issues.
3. Tax Benefits. Generally, no expenses are allowed for
home offices or work space (unless used exclusively cr.
a regular basis as a principal place of business).
Employees who believe they may be entitled to tax
deductions based on home office or work space,
depreciation of employee-owned personal computers and
related equipment, etc., should consult their -tax
advisor or the Internal Revenue Service for information
on tax laws and interpretations.
VIII. SUSPENSION. TERMINATION AND TRANSFER ISS.USS
A. Suspension or Termination
1. An employee may suspend or terminate his/her Flexiplace
arrangement at any time without prejudice.
2. A performance appraisal below fully successful auto-
matically suspends or terminates an employee's
Flexiplace arrangement.
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"Flexiplace Program Guidance
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3 . Management retains the right to suspend or terminate ar.
employee's Flexiplace participation if performance de-
clines cr if it no longer benefits the Agency to have
the employee work at home.
Iz is very important that the Flexiplace Coordinators be
prcrr.ptly notified whenever a Flexiplace employee decides to
tar-mate participation or is terminated or suspended from
the program.
B. Transfers
This section discusses procedures to be followed if there
are job position changes (transfers) that may affect
Fiexiplace participation during the one year pilot. Exam-
pies of such transfers are:
1. the Flexiplace employee transfers to a different job
and/or organizational unit;
2. the supervisor of a Flexiplace employee transfers to a
different job; or
3. the Flexiplace employee is assigned a new supervisor.
If the change results in a new supervisor for the Flexiplace
employee and the employee is continuing Flexiplace partici-
pation - the Flexiplace Office/Division Flexiplace
Coordinator will provide the new supervisor with orienta-
tion, the schedule for focus group attendance, and provide
any relevant information/materials associated with progress
of the project. The Division/Office Flexiplace Coordinator
should notify the Regional Flexiplace Coordinator of any
changes.
IX. APPEAL PROCESS
An employee may appeal a disapproval decision for the pilot,
by following the procedure outlined below:
Step 1 Contact the Regional Flexiplace Coordinator
(Eileen Burrows) and arrange for a meeting of the
Employee, Coordinator, and Supervisor.
Step 2 If the above meeting does not result in a settle-
ment of the issue to the employee's satisfaction,
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Rexiplace Program Guidance
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then the employee may appeal to the Regional
:ounsel.
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•Ftexiplace Program -Quidance
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APPENDIX C
1 REGION III, ORC
PILOT FLEXIPLACE PROGRAM
WORK AGREEMENT
The following constitutes an agreement between:
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region III and (name of
employee) of the terms and conditions
of the Pilot Flexiplace Program.
1. Employee participates in the one-year experimental
pilot testing phase of the project and agrees to adhere
to the applicable guidelines and policies. Agency
concurs with employee participation and agrees to
adhere to the applicable guidelines and policies.
2. Employee agrees to participate in the project for a
period beginning and ending
under Flexiplace .
(Regular or Episodic)
3. Employee's official tour of duty and location, are as
listed below:
Pay Period
Work Week
#1
#2
Day
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Hours
From
To
I
Duty Station
Official
Al tsrnate
-------
(including a one-half -hour -non-paid Lunch period)
(above allows for compressed workweek)
Management reserves the right to alter the employee's
established work schedule to accommodate peak workload
office demands or for any other office purpose with
advance notification (including high pollution days).
Employee's official duty station is Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania. The alternate duty station (the location
in which the employee is designated to work while not
at the official duty station) is
Describe the alternate duty station in detail
All pay, special salary rates, leave and -travel
entitlements will be based on the employee's official
duty station.
5. Employee's timekeeper will have a copy of the
employee's Pilot Flejciplace schedule. Employee's time
and attendance will be recorded as performing official
duties at the official duty station. Employee's
supervisor will certify bi-weekly time and attendance
for hours worked. Employees must complete the
"Employee Self-Certification Time and Attendance
Report" (Attachment 1) and -return it to their
supervisor on a bi-weekly basis.
6. Employee must obtain supervisory approval before taking
leave in accordance with established office procedures.
By signing this agreement employee agrees to follow
established procedures for requesting and obtaining
approval of leave.
7. Employee will continue to work in pay status while
working at his/her alternate duty station. Employee
cannot earn overtime or comp time when on a Flexiplaoe
day.
8. An employee who borrows Government equipment, will
protect the Government equipment in accordance with the
procedures established in FIRMR Bulletin 30 dated
October IS, 1985. Government-owned hardware can fee
borrowed by an employee under the Region III Policy
entitled "U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Region
III LAN Operational Policies-Taking Hardware Off-Site",
dated May 24, 1994 (Attachment 2). Under said policy,
-------
maintenance of the equipment is the responsibility of
the employee. -Government-owned software can be borrowed
by an employee under the "U.S. EPA. Region III LAN
Operational Policies-Taking Software Off-Site," dated
February 15, 1994 (Attachment 3). The LAN
Administrator is available over the phone, to address
hardware or software problems.,An employee who provides
his/her own equipment- is responsible for installing,
servicing and maintaining it. No additional liability
for loss/damage of Government property/equipment will
be placed upon employees under this program beyond
existing requirements.
5: Provided the employee is given at least 24 hours
advance notice, the employee agrees to permit periodic
home inspections by the Government of the alternate
duty station during the employee's normal working hours
to ensure proper maintenance of Government-owned
equipment and duty station conformance with safety
standards.
10. The Government is not liable for damages to an
employee's personal or real property during the course
of performance of official duties or while using
Government equipment in the employee's alternate duty
station, except to the extent the Government is liable
under the Federal Tort Claims Act or under the Military
Personnel and Civilian Employees Claims Act.
11. The Government is not responsible for operating costs,
home maintenance or any other incidental costs (e.g.,
utilities) whatsoever associated with the use of the
employee's alternate duty station (e.g., home
residence). The Government cannot pay for
installation, monthly or local use charges for
telephone service. The Agency will provide all
necessary office supplies (such as paper, pens, printer
ribbons, diskettes, envelopes, tape, staples, etc.).
By participating in the Pilot Flexiplace Program, the
employee does not relinquish any entitlement to
reimbursement for authorized expenses incurred while
conducting business for the Government, as provided for
by statute and implementing regulations. This includes
preapproved long distance business-related telephone
calls. Employee is expected to utilize office
equipment to the extent possible for long distance
calls.
12. Employee is covered under the Federal Employee's
Compensation Act if injured in the course of actually
performing official duties at the official or alternate
duty station.
Any accident or injury occurring at, the alternate duty
station must be brought to the immediate attention of
-------
the supervisor. -Because an -employment--related
accident sustained by an employee -participating in the
Pilot Flexiplace Program could occur outside of the
premises of the official duty station, the supervisor
must investigate all reports immediately following
notification.
Employees must complete the "Employee "'elf-
Certification Safety Checklist"* (Attac ment 4), which
identifies significant -safety standards that should be
met and return it to their supervisor prior to
participating in a Pilot Flexiplace Program.
13. Employee will communicate with-the supervisor -to,
receive assignments and have completed work -reviewed in
accordance with the supervisor's instructions. All
work performed at home will be planned in adya-nce with
the supervisor and reviewed by the supervisor upon
completion (usually the next day in the office).
Employee will call supervisor at Lest -once during the
F/P day. *
14. Employee will complete all assigned work in ;accordance
with the supervisor's instructions.
15. Supervisor will evaluate employee's job performance
against performance standards and measures established
in the employee's performance agreement.
16. Regular and required progress reporting, as -defined "by
the supervisor, will be performed by the employee and
will be used by the supervisor in his/her assessment of
employee's job performance.
17. At the beginning of the pilot, the 6-month interval and
at the end of the pilot, the supervisor and the
employee will complete surveys/questionnaires and
participate in focus groups which summarize the impact
of the Pilot Flexiplace Program on the office, the
employee, the supervisor and other organizational
components.
IB. To participate in the Pilot Flexiplace Program, an
employee's most recent performance rating of record
must be fully successful or better. This does not
apply to employees who are statutorily exempt from
, performance rating (e.g., Administrative Law Judges).
19. To participate in the Pilot Flexiplace Program, an
employee's current performance agreement must contain
performance standards and measures covering work
completed at the official duty station as well as work
completed at the alternate duty station.
20. Employee agrees to use approved safeguards -to protect
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Government records from unauthorized disclosure or
damage. Employee agrees not to remove records
containing information protected under the Privacy Act
of 1974, as amended, 5 U.S.C. § 552a and those
containing confidential business information (CBI) as
set forth in 40 C.F.R. Part II, Subpart B.
21. Employee may terminate participation in the Pilot
Flexiplace Program at any time. Management has the
right to remove the employee from the Project if the
employee's performance declines or if the Project fails
to meet the needs of the organization, as defined by
the supervisor.
22.- Employee agrees to perform his/her officially assigned
duties at either the official duty station or the
alternate duty station. Failure to comply with this
provision may result in charge of leave, loss of pay,
termination of participation in the Project, or
disciplinary action, as warranted, based on the
situation. Supervisory approval must be obtained to
work at another location besides the duty station or
alternate duty station.
23. Employee agrees not to conduct unauthorized personal
business while in official duty status at the official
or alternate duty station (e.g., childcare, eldercare,
home repairs, r,eal estate, etc.). Flexiplace is not a
substitute for child care.
24. Supervisor must complete the "Supervisor-Employee
Checkout List" {Attachment 5)"and discuss the items
covered on this list with the employee prior to
initiating a Pilot Flexiplace Program agreement.
This agreement does not restrict the employees right to
change schedules in accordance with existing policies.
I have read the work agreement and agree to adhere to
the applicable guidelines and' policies as set forth in
this document.
Employee-Participant Date
Supervisor Date
Approving Official (Division/Office Director) Date
-------
The supervisor,should keep the original and forward a copy
of this agreement to the Office/Division Flexiplace Coordinator.
The Office/Division Flexiplace Coordinator will in turn review
the forms for-completeness and forward them to the Regional
Flexiplace Coordinator.
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Attachment (1)
EPA REGION III
PILOT FLEXIPLACE PROGRAM
EMPLOYEE SELF-CERTIFICATION TIME AND ATTENDANCE REPORT
EMPLOYEE NAME
BEGINNING
ENDING
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
SUNDAY
MONDAY
TUESDAY
WEDNESDAY
THURSDAY
FRIDAY
SATURDAY
FROM
TO
•
HOURS
WORKED
-
A/L
S/L
SIGNATURE OF EMPLOYEE
SIGNATURE OF SUPERVISOR
REMARKS: 1
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ATTACHMENT (2)
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION III LAN OPERATIONAL POLICIES
TITLE: TAKING HARDWARE OFF-SITE
DATE: 5-24-94
1.0 PURPOSE
This policy defines the procedures to be used when
taking hardware off-site on a permanent basis for
government- use. •
&
2.0 SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY
This policy is applicable to all Region III employees.
3.0 POLICY
It is Regional policy to allow employees to take
hardware off-site for government use providing that the
following holds -true:
a. The LAN System Administrator is responsible for
tracking all hardware and must be aware of, and approve
of, any hardware that is taken off-site. The LAN SA is
responsible for updating the Hardware Inventory to show
that the equipment has been taken off-site.
.b. Maintenance of the equipment is the responsibility
of the employee. If there is a hardware and/or
software problem it will either be handled over the
phone with the LAN SA during business hours or the
employee with need to bring the equipment back into the
office. It is not the responsibility of the LAN SA to
go to the employees home or to work on problems after
hours.
c. The Taking Software.Off-Site Policy must be followed
for any software that exists on equipment being taken
off-site on a permanent basis.
d. The Property Pass procedures in use by the
Facilities Management and Services Branch must be
followed when you take property home for official work.
These procedures are available from the FMSB.
e. This hardware is the property of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and is to be used for
government business only.
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ATTACHMENT (3)
U.S. ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY
REGION III LAN OPERATIONAL POLICIES
TITLE: TAKING SOFTWARE OFF-SITE
DATE: 2-15-94
1.0 PURPOSE
This policy defines the procedures to be used when
taking software off-site on a permanent basis for
government use on off-site computers.
2.0 SCOPE AND APPLICABILITY
This policy is applicable to all Region III employees.
3 .0 POLICY
It is Regional policy to allow employees to take
software off-site for government use on off-site
computers providing that the following holds true:
a. The LAN System Administrator is responsible for
tracking all software licenses and must be aware of,
and approve of, any software that is taken off-site.
The LAN SA is responsible for updating the Software
inventory to show that software has been taken off-
site.
/
b. Software licensed for an individual workstation
(standalone software) can be copied by the user of that
workstation only. Since he/she will be the only user
of that software the single license restriction will
not be violated. Current examples of this software
are: dBase III, Lotus 1-2-3 v. 2.01 and 2.2,
WordPerfect 5.0 and 5.1, Windows, Automaxx, and
Crosstalk.
c. Standalone software can be removed from an
individual's workstation and given to another
individual for off-site or office use. It cannot be
retained on your computer if given to another.
d. Software licenses for stolen and/or excessed
equipment can be reused for off-site or office use.
e. Software licensed for all workstations such as
through a site license or mass purchase can be copied
for off-site government use. This generally only
applies to WordPerfect and WP Office.
I '
f. Software licensed for concurrent use on the LAN such
as Freelance, dBase IV, and Lotus 2.x & 3.x cannot be
copied or shared in any way.
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g. The Property Pass procedures in use by the
Facilities Management and Services Branch must be
followed when you take property off-site for official
work.
f
h. This software is the property of the U.S.
Environmental Protection Agency and is to be .used for
government business only.
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• Attachment (4;
EPA REGION III
PILOT FLEXIPLACE PROGRAM
EMPLOYEE'SELF-CERTIFICATION SAFETY CHECKLIST
NAME: MAIL CODE:
OFFICE: i
HOME ADDRESS: CITY AND STATE:
OFFICE PHONE:
HOME PHONE:
Dear Pilot Participant:
The following checklist is designed to assess the overall
safety of the alternate duty station. Each participant should
read and complete the self-certification safety checklist. Upcn
completion the checklist should be signed and dated by the
participating employee and immediate supervisor.
•The alternate duty station is ,
Describe the designated work area in the alternate duty station
Is the space free of asbestos containing Yes No_
materials?
If asbestos containing material is present, Yes No_
is it undamaged and in good condition?
* Only check if applicable
Is the space free of indoor air quality Yes No_
problems?
Is the space free of noise hazards (in Yes No_
excess of 85 decibels)?
Is there a -potable (drinkable) water supply? Yes No.
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6. Is adequate ventilation present for the Yes N7o_
desired occupancy?
1. Are lavatories available with hot and Yes No
cold running water?
5. Are all stairs with 4 or more steps Yes No_
equipped with handrails?
9. Are all circuit breakers and/or fuses in Yes No_
the electrical panel labeled as to intended
service?'
10. Do circuit breakers clearly indicate if Yes No_
they are in the open or closed position?
11. Is all electrical equipment free of Yes No_
recognized hazards that would cause
physical harm (frayed wires, bare
conductors, loose wire, flexible wire
running through walls, exposed wires fixed
to the ceiling)? v
12. Will the building's electrical system Yes No_
permit the grounding of electrical
equipment?
13. Are aisles, doorways and corners free of Yes Nc_
obstructions to permit visibility and
movement?
14. Are file cabinets and storage closets Yes No_
arranged so drawers and doors do not open
into walkways?
15. Do chairs have any loose casters (wheels)? Yes No_
Are the rungs and legs of chairs sturdy?
16. Is the office overly furnished? Yes No_
17. Are the phone lines, electrical cords, and Yes No_
extension wires secure under a desk or
alongside a baseboard?
18. Is the office space neat, clean, and free Yes -No_
of excessive amounts of combustibl.es?
19. Are floor surfaces clean, -dry, level and Yes No_
free of worn or frayed seams?
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20. Are carpets well secured to the floor and Yes No_
free cf frayed or worn seams?
Employee Signature • Date
Immediate Supervisor's Signature Date
(approved/disapproved)
SPECIAL NOTE: SUPERVISORS ARE ENCOURAGED TO CONDUCT AN ON-SITE
INSPECTION FOR ANY EMPLOYEE CHECKING FIVE OR MORE NO ANSWERS.
EMPLOYEES ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR INFORMING TKEIR SUPERVISOR OF ANY
SIGNIFICANT CHANGE.
The Supervisor should keep the original and
forward a copy of this agreement to the
Office/Division Flexiplace Coordinator. The
Office/Division Flexiplace Coordinator will in
turn review the forms for completeness and forward
them to the Regional Flexiplace Coordinator.
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Attachment (5)
EPA REGION III
PILOT FLEXIPLACE PROGRAM
SUPERVISOR-EMPLOYEE CHECKOUT LIST
The following checklist is designed to ensure that your
Pilot employee is properly oriented to the policies and
procedures of the Project.
NAME OF PILOT PARTICIPANT:
NAME OF IMMEDIATE SUPERVISOR: ..
Date
Comoletec
Employee has read PCMI and EPA ORC project guidance
outlining policies and procedures of the pilot,
Drocrams.
Employee has been provided with a schedule of
duty hours and location to be' conducted.
Employee has been issued/has not been issued
equipment.
Equipment issued by the agency is documented.
Check as applicable • Yes No
computer
modem
software
other
5. Policies and procedures for care of equipment
issued by the agency have been explained and
are clearly understood.
6. Policies and procedures covering classified,
secure or privacy act data have been discussed,
and are clearly understood.
7. Requirements for an adequate and safe alternate
duty station have been discussed, and the
employee certified those requirements are met.
8. Performance expectations have been discussed and
are clearly understood.
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S. Employee understands that the supervisor may
terminate employee participation at any time,
in accordance with established administrative
procedures.
10. Employee has participated in the Flexiplace
Orientation.
Employee Signature Date
Immediate Supervisor Si-gnature Dat-«
The Supervisor should keep the original and
forward a copy of this agreement to the
Office/Division Flexiplace Coordinator. The
Office/Division Flexiplace Coordinator will in
turn -review the forms for completeness and forwa:
them to the Regional Flexiplace Coordinator.
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APPENDIX D
PLANNING SHEET FOR FLEXIPLACE DAY
For (Date) / / Name: ,
Hours:
Description of task/work/call (must include logging on at least
once and calling supervisor):
1/2 hr. lunch
Documents needed for F/P day:
(No documents containing CBI or Privacy Act information are being
removed from EPA Region III).
Signature of Supervisor Signature of Employee
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DEBRIEFING SHEET POST FLEXIPLACE DAY
For (Date of F/P Day) / / Name;
Task- Accomplished;
Houi.:
Discussion/Notes:
Signature of Supervisor Signature of Employee
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APPENDIX E
EPA REGION III FLEXIPLACE PILOT ORIENTATION
I. Introduction for Participating Employees and Supervisors
-by Marcia Mulkey, Regional Counsel
A. What is Flexiplace? -by Eileen Burrows, Regional
Flexiplace Coordinator
1. Background
2. Types of Flexiplace
B. Certification and Control of Time and Attendance
C. Alternative Work Schedules
D. Leave
E. Administrative Leave, Dismissals, and Emergency Closings
F. Home Utility Expenses
G. Privacy Act, Confidential Business Information records
K. Tax Implications, Zoning Regulations
I. Signing a Work Agreement
II. Managing a Flexiplace Employee -by Lydia Isales, ORC
A. Establishing Explicit Quality and Quantity Norms and
Deadlines
B. Planning, Scheduling and Tra-cking Assignments, employee
involvement
C. Communicating Supervisory Expectations, Tracking Results
Regularly
E. Inspecting Home Area
F. Employee Requirements regarding LAN and voice-mail
(SUPERVISORS CAN LEAVE AT THIS TIME IF THEY WANT)
III. Expectations on Personal Responsibility -by Eileen Burrows
A. Accountability
B. Time Management and Self-Discipline
C. Contacts and Meetings with Co-workers
IV. Home Office
A. Setting up Home Office -by Jim Marks, Regional Safety Manager
B. Stand Alone PCs, Expectations -by Carol O'Tormey, LAN Admin.
C. Obtaining Government Calling Card -by Lydia Isales
D. Programming Voice-Mail Option, Expectations -by
Carol O'Tormey
V. Miscellaneous Issues -by Lydia Isales
A. Ways to Avoid Isolation
B. Image; Self-Esteem
C. Brief Summary of Next Steps
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APPENDIX F
ORC FLEXIPLACE PILOT
PARTICIPANT SURVEY COMMENTS
The following comments are from survey questions asked of the Flexiplace Participants:
The following comments were made in response to the questions: "How
desirable for you is your Flexiplace arrangement" with regard to
"transportation/travel issues" and "personal cost issues?":
- Able to work 1 -2 hours usually spend commuting.
- Would like to do it (Flexiplace) more than allowed.
- Would like to use Flexiplace in bad weather days if schedule permits.
- Allow Flexiplace on a per hours cap instead of per days {part-timers
could work 2 half days per week).
- Paperwork requirement to document daily Flexiplace is a detriment if
Flexiplace is to be used by whole Region.
- Because of extensive faxing/printing, had to spend more on expensive
printer heads/ink cartridges than expected. Partial reimbursement for
these would be greatly appreciated.
- Upgrade PCs we use at home, equipment is slow.
- Could use speaker phones and better computers.
The following comments were specifically in response to the question, "Would
you recommend Flexiplace to your colleagues?":
- If personally motivated person.
- Allows change of venue, effective use of time.
- Break from office, concentrate on complex matters.
- It allows flexibility in the work schedule and is ideal for projects which
require more concentration and fewer interruptions.
- Ability to concentrate at home, good for large projects.
- Provides opportunity to perform tasks which require uninterrupted
concentration.
- Great way to focus on assignments that require concentration.
- Flexiplace leads to increased concentration and not having to-commute
to work is great.
- More time witrHamily because of less commuting.
- Much healthier work environment than a windowless office- in a dr-eary
building.
- Empowering and offers job satisfaction.
- Like having options in how I do job.
- Adds a dimension of isolation.
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-2-
The following comments were in response to the question, "If you were a
supervisor, would you encourage your staff to participate i
- I would encourage employees I trusted.
- If employee is self-motivated.
- Would closely monitor their progress on Flexiplace-day assignments.
- Believe increases morale.
- Better morale.
- Huge increase in morale.
- This Flexiplace makes for more productive and -contented workers.
- Think I would recommend it, very productive on F.lexiplaee'eiays.
- Would encourage those who fett they had less distractions at nometo
participate.
- At least Episodic, fits a need.
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APPENDIX G
ORC FLEXIPLACE PILOT
SUPERVISOR SURVEY COMMENTS
The following comments are from survey questions asked of the Supervisors of
Flexiplace participants regarding the feasibility and desirability of Flexiplace within their
organizational unit. (As a note, only two supervisors provided the following comments):
- Feasible with 1 maybe 2 on Flexiplace; I have 4-ridkxilous! Also, not
worth the trouble with part-time employees. Too much absence from
office-too much subbing by the supervisor, clients get frustrated, can't
assign big "seven-days-a-week" cases.
- More difficult as more employees participate.
- Gets more difficult as more employees participate; if available to
everyone and used by everyone, will be difficult to have group meetings,
interactions, etc.
- Again, depends on the number of staff on Flexiplace and whether they
are full-time, part-time, and types of cases employee works on.
- Maybe abolish Regular Ftexiplace, at least for employees on
compressed or part-time schedules. (1 day out of 10 away from office is
O.K., 2 gets to be a problem, unless you want an essentially part-time
office.) Episodic O.K., with limits, for everyone.
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ADDENDUM
TO REPORT ON ORC FLEXIPLACE PILOT
Below are revised Flexiplace pilot costs based on an estimate of 390 actual Flexiplace
days used by the pilot participants. The costs outlined on pages 13-16 of this report
were originally based on 654 days, which was the number of potential Flexiplace days
the participants could have used during the one-year pilot. This change in the number
of Flexiplace days revises the LAN access and telephone use estimates as follows:
LAN access cost: $5,148
Telephone use cost: $10,809 {total «xtra cost to Region)
Therefore, the total estimated cost for the one-year pilot was $62,346 or $2,969 per
participant.
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