ML25111A078
| ML25111A078 | |
| Person / Time | |
|---|---|
| Issue date: | 04/21/2025 |
| From: | Office of Administration, NRC/EDO |
| To: | |
| References | |
| Download: ML25111A078 (0) | |
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Note: For non-supervisory employees, the agency interim telework policy from the March 24, 2025 announcement, remains in effect for the pay period from May 19, 2025 - May 31, 2025; employees only need to enter TADA information for the post-June 1 policy below.
Return to In-Person Work Policy Supersedes the Interim Telework Policy for Non-Supervisory Employees issued on March 24, 2025, and the Telework Policy for SES Employees and Supervisors issued on February 28. 2025 On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued a Presidential Memorandum, Return to In-Person Work. Pursuant to that memorandum, and consistent with guidance subsequently issued by the Office of Personnel Management, we are revising the in-person work policy. This revised policy, which applies to all NRC employees, goes into effect on June 1, 2025. Under the revised policy, staff will have to report to the office for all scheduled workdays, with some limited exceptions. Telework exceptions will continue to be granted for reasonable accommodations where appropriate, military and foreign service spouses, special circumstances, the telework bank, project-based telework, and weather and safety telework. The revisions to the in-person work policy do not change or cancel approved telework arrangements granted through the reasonable accommodation program or special circumstances program.
For remote workers with existing agreements, telework schedules will not change unless or until their supervisors notify them of the availability of space at either an NRC location or other federal facility within 50 miles of their current location. The NRC will only find space in federal facilities for individuals who have remote work agreements.
Staff who have a current duty station at an NRC location that is different than the location of the NRC Office, Division, or Branch where the staff is assigned, may continue to work from that duty station consistent with the in-person work policy.
The NRC has a number of work schedule options available that provide additional flexibilities.
Staff may telework during any time worked outside of their regular work schedule (e.g.,
unscheduled credit hours, approved compensatory time, approved overtime). We will continue to issue FAQs as we move towards June 1, 2025.
Employee participation in the NRCs telework program is voluntary. Telework is only allowed when it is in the best interest of the agency. To be eligible for any kind of telework, employees must submit, and have their supervisor approve, the appropriate telework forms in the Telework Agreement Data Application (TADA).
A. In-Person Work Requirement Beginning June 1, 2025, employees (other than those with existing remote work agreements) must work in-person at an NRC facility unless approved for telework under one of the exceptions described below. These employees should select an appropriate work schedule pursuant to Management Directive 10.42 to fulfill their in-
person work requirement. Employees are expected work their assigned schedule in the office. For purposes of this requirement, the following constitutes in-person work:
(1) work performed while on approved official travel, (2) field work, off-site meetings, or other off-site work assigned as part of an employees official duties, and (3) off-site training.
B. Fixed Telework Schedules Employees may only be approved for fixed telework1up to and including remote workon the basis of the following: (1) an approved reasonable accommodation request based on medical disability, (2) an approved short-term (on the order of weeks) telework arrangement based on personal incapacitation or a personal hardship, (3) an approved telework arrangement for federal military spouses and foreign service spouses2, or (4) a telework arrangement approved by the responsible DEDO for covered positions under the ADVANCE Act, and for hard-to-fill positions that support mission-critical safety and security functions.
C. Telework Bank At the beginning of the leave year, pay period 1, each employee will receive 160 hours0.00185 days <br />0.0444 hours <br />2.645503e-4 weeks <br />6.088e-5 months <br /> of telework for use throughout the year. For 2025 this will be prorated to 87 hours0.00101 days <br />0.0242 hours <br />1.438492e-4 weeks <br />3.31035e-5 months <br />. For people joining the agency during the year, the amount will be prorated as of their onboarding date. This time does not carry over from year to year if not used.
This is separate from and in addition to any project based or fixed telework described in other sections. This bank may be used for any situation where the employee wishes to telework, for example, to telework on the remainder of a day when a person has a personal/medical appointment. The 160 hours0.00185 days <br />0.0444 hours <br />2.645503e-4 weeks <br />6.088e-5 months <br /> should be tracked in the HCM cloud application. Requests to use hours in the telework bank should be made to the employees first-line supervisor in writing in advance, preferably by email, and the supervisor should approve unless there is a business need to reject the request (e.g., a need for office coverage on a specific day).
D. Project-Based Telework Project-based telework refers to a specific, limited-duration assignment. The assignment for which project-based telework will be used, needs to be documented in email in advance of the approval. Project-based telework should not be used as a substitute for a fixed telework schedule or the telework bank and should be 1 Fixed telework is a recurring telework arrangement with a fixed schedule that designates the day(s) and hours each pay period in which work will be performed at the employees home or approved offsite location.
2 On February 12, 2025, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued guidance on exempting military spouses and foreign service spouses from agency return to office plans. This guidance notes that military spouses working remotely have a compelling reason not to return to in-person worknamely, Section 1112 of The National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2024 authorizes remote work for military spouses (codified at 5 U.S.C. § 3330d). OPM thus instructed agencies to ensure that any return-to-office plans categorially exempt military spouses. OPM further advised that this exemption covers spouses of U.S. Foreign Service members who are on overseas assignments.
infrequent. Project-based telework can be approved by the employees immediate supervisor. More than 2 days of project-based telework in any two consecutive pay periods requires the approval of the second level supervisor. Project-based telework will be tracked separately in the HCM cloud application.
E. Weather and Safety Telework Telework may be used by employees who have a telework agreement when severe weather or other condition prevents an employee or group of employees from traveling safely to or from the office or another approved location where the employee was authorized to work.