House panel again tells agencies: Increase telework or lose funds

[The Straight Story]

House panel again tells agencies: Increase telework or lose funds

By Daniel Pulliam
[email protected]

Congressional appropriators are intensifying efforts to allow federal employees the opportunity to work away from their offices.

Language in a spending bill approved by the House Appropriations Committee this week requires five agencies to prove that the number of teleworkers in their agency is increasing or give up $5 million in funding. The measure is sponsored by Rep. Frank Wolf, R-Va., and according to his office, the measure will go to the full House on Tuesday.

Wolf said in a statement that he regrets "having to be so heavy handed" by threatening to withhold funding, but he believes that it is necessary in order to increase the number of federal employees allowed to telework.

"The federal government should be leading the way when it comes to teleworking, instead of being pushed into it," Wolf said. "There simply is just no magic in strapping ourselves in a metal box every day and driving ourselves to the office only to sit behind a computer or talk on the phone for eight hours."

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