Working from home has changed a lot for federal employees since the COVID-19 pandemic shut down offices everywhere. Remote and telework options have saved federal workers money on gas, parking, childcare, and countless other things.
But most importantly, it’s helped federal employees with medical conditions continue working.
Whether constant back pain prevents you from sitting all day in work chairs, or your mental health condition makes working in a crowded office difficult, working from home has made keeping up with work manageable.
Cause for Concern
Why is telework being targeted?
Recent reports from the House Committee on Oversight and Reform raised concerns about wasting money on unoccupied federal buildings. The report findings title says it all – “The Lights Are on, But Everyone is at Home: Why the New Administration Will Enter Largely Vacant Federal Agency Offices.”
The U.S. Government Accountability Office reported that 17 out of 23 government agencies’ headquarters were at 25% or less capacity, meaning rent and upkeep for federal buildings is being wasted.
Return to work Order
Right or wrong, President Trump signed a memorandum, requiring federal employees in the executive branch to return to work in person. While there are some exceptions to this order, including reasonable accommodations, this will force many federal employees used to the benefits of working from home, to return to the office.
So, what are my options?
If you’ve been working from home and you’re struggling to get your work done, and you think that returning to work in person wouldn’t be possible, you’re not alone.
Maybe it’s difficult for you to pay attention for long periods of time, and a noisy office will make matters worse. Or maybe your doctor has recommended that you take thirty-minute rest breaks every few hours. This is hard to fit into a normal schedule teleworking, let alone returning to a crowded office space.
If this sounds like you, and the thought of being ordered back to in-office work is daunting, here are 7 options to consider moving forward:
1. Request for support from your doctor
Requesting orders from your treating healthcare provider to confirm that it’s necessary for you to work from home is a great step to take. If you have this support, it can help you receive a reasonable accommodation, and it could even be helpful in a claim for disability retirement if you choose to pursue that. To learn more about supportive medical documentation, click here.
2. Apply for Reasonable Accommodation
The executive order has stated that it will be up to agency heads to decide if certain cases of telework or remote work are necessary, so it’s a little unclear if reasonable accommodation will be at risk. Despite this, securing reasonable accommodation to work from home now could be a good first step to ensure that you’re protected.
A reasonable accommodation is a modification of your job and or your work environment which allows you to do all the functions of your position. For some people, working from home is a valid reasonable accommodation, so if you have had to return to the office, applying for accommodation could be a good option for you. And if you want to learn more about reasonable accommodations, you can learn more here.
3. Utilizing regular leave or FLMA
If other options won’t work for you, or you need some extra time before you move forward, you can use your regular leave or FLMA. These options can help you temporarily until you come to a long-term decision. To learn more about FMLA, click here.
4. Federal Disability Retirement
If your agency has given you reasonable accommodation to work from home already, but you’re still struggling to get your work done, your next step could be looking into retirement options. Federal Disability Retirement can offer you security and peace of mind, so you don’t have to worry about a return to the office. And since reasonable accommodations are only valid if they allow you to perform all the functions of your position, this setback could end up helping you prove your disability to the Office of Personnel Management.
Federal Disability Retirement would:
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- Let you to continue getting a portion of your monthly salary
- Allow you to hang on to your health and life insurance
- Allow you to keep gaining years of service so you don’t lose out on increased pay later on
To apply for Federal Disability Retirement, you need to meet several different qualifications and requirements.
5. Immediate or Phased Voluntary Retirement
If you’ve met the age and service requirements, immediate or voluntary retirement could be the best choice for you. Immediate retirement would allow you to stop work altogether, while phased retirement would allow you to work part time for a while until you retire completely. You can learn more about the eligibility requirements and details of these two options here.
6. Special Provisions Immediate Voluntary Retirement
If you’re a special provisions employee, you can also apply for Immediate Voluntary Retirement. You can find more details about eligibility for this option here.
7. Early Optional Retirement
Early optional retirement could also be an option for you if you have met your minimum retirement age and have 10 years of service. If you want to know more about your minimum retirement age, you can learn more here.
Bottom line
If you’ve been relying on telework or remote work to get by and you’re worried that this new order will force you back into the office, it might be time to consider your options.
We understand this can be frustrating and confusing, so let us help you figure it out. Schedule a free consultation with us today and we’ll walk you through everything, step by step.
