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This week, the House passed the SHOW UP Act (H.R. 139) to severely limit telework in the federal workplace.
Ahead of the vote, National President Tony Reardon wrote to House members urging them to vote against this bill.
The legislation would require every federal agency to return to pre-pandemic telework policies, without regard to union contracts or proven positive results based on actual telework experience.
“The so-called Show Up Act is based on false pretenses,” said Reardon. “The federal employees we represent who are eligible for telework ‘show up” for work every day, whether they are working from home or at a federal worksite.”
The bill’s sponsor started floor debate admitting he had no data showing that telework and remote work had any harmful effects and conceded that telework helps recruitment.
“Telework is not some new, unstudied and untested workplace policy,” Reardon said. “Tens of thousands of federal employees with portable job duties have had telework options for many years.”
There is also no provision considering office space to the employees; some agencies have reduced leased space or signed leases binding them to release office space soon.
NTEU is working with our allies in the Senate to prevent this harmful legislation from moving forward.