A new Senate bill is looking to make it easier for Federal agencies to hire qualified candidates for remote work positions, especially the spouses of service members and law enforcement officials.
While the Senate legislation specifically targets remote job opportunities for those groups, it would charge Federal agencies with figuring out a range of criteria for supporting remote work more broadly, including on the cost savings and productivity fronts.
Sens. James Lankford, R-Okla., and Kyrsten Sinema, I-Ariz., introduced the Telework Reform Act on Oct. 12 to give Federal agencies tools to quickly hire spouses of service members and law enforcement, ensuring agencies can properly operate without disruptions.
“As the structure of the work environment and the culture of the workforce changes we are seeing more and more remote workers. This is a great recruiting tool for military and law enforcement spouses who wish to support their loved ones while also pursuing their own career,” Sen. Lankford said in a press release.
“The spouse of a Border Patrol agent working in the small town of Eagle Pass, TX might not be able to find a job that fits their education or training, but remote work for a Federal agency may be a great opportunity,” he added. “By re-thinking how the government uses remote work, we are encouraging Federal agencies to hire in diverse communities across the country; instead of requiring our workforce to be centralized in Washington, D.C. We should allow both people to serve their nation and build a career.”
Specifically, the bill would enhance training, accountability, and support related to remote work and telework. It would also direct agencies to identify necessary cybersecurity and IT infrastructure changes due to the increased use of remote work and telework.
Additionally, it would direct agencies to identify which positions could benefit from being performed remotely, the potential value of increasing remote work, and expected cost savings and productivity outcomes from the increased use of remote work and telework.
The bill also instructs agencies to identify “the ways that the executive agency could coordinate with the secretary of defense to recruit the spouses of members of the Armed Forces for positions, the responsibilities of which are performed through remote work,” according to the bill text.
“We’re cutting costs and expanding career opportunities by improving federal telework for Arizonans and military spouses who rely on telework to stay employed when moving due to military orders,” Sen. Sinema said of the legislation.
