R 022331Z AUG 11

ALCOAST 365/11
COMDTNOTE 12300
SUBJ: TELEWORK ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2010, PUBLIC LAW 111-292
A. PL 111-292, DATED 9 DECEMBER 2010
B. DHS EMPLOYEE ELIGIBILITY NOTIFICATION MEMORANDUM, DATED 6 JUNE
2011
1.  THIS ALCOAST AUGMENTS INFORMATION PROVIDED IN REFERENCES A AND B
AND EMPHASIZES COMMANDANT SUPPORT FOR TELEWORK AS A MEANS TO LEVERAGE
TECHNOLOGY AND OFFER AN ADDITIONAL FLEXIBILITY TO MEET SERVICE NEEDS
AND ACHIEVE NATIONAL GOALS.  REFERENCE A OFFERS AGENCIES GREATER
FLEXIBILITY FOR MANAGING THE WORKFORCE VIA TELEWORK AND PROVIDES A
FRAMEWORK TO BETTER USE TECHNOLOGY AND FLEXIBLE WORK ARRANGEMENTS TO
ENHANCE RECRUITING AND RETENTION.  THIS MESSAGE ALSO REQUESTS
UNITS/COMMANDS IDENTIFY TELEWORK COORDINATORS.  SUPERVISORS AND
MANAGERS ARE STRONGLY ENCOURAGED TO PROMOTE USING TELEWORK TO THE
MAXIMUM EXTENT POSSIBLE, PROVIDED NEITHER WORK NOR MISSION
PERFORMANCE ARE DEGRADED.  REFERENCE B SERVES AS NOTIFICATION OF THE
BASIC TELEWORK ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS.
2.  REFERENCES A. LISTS THREE KEY OBJECTIVES WHICH ALSO ALIGN WITH
REFERENCE B:
    A.  IMPROVING CONTINUITY OF OPERATIONS (COOP): TO KEEP GOVERNMENT
OPERATIONAL DURING INCLEMENT WEATHER OR OTHER EMERGENCIES.
    B.  PROMOTING MANAGEMENT EFFECTIVENESS: TO REDUCE COSTS RELATED
TO
EMPLOYEE TURNOVER AND ABSENTEEISM, TO REDUCE REAL ESTATE AND TRANSIT
COSTS, AND TO REDUCE NEGATIVE IMPACTS ON THE ENVIRONMENT.
    C.  ENHANCING WORK-LIFE BALANCE: TO ENABLEMILITARY MEMBERS/
EMPLOYEES TO BETTER MANAGE THEIR WORK AND FAMILY OBLIGATIONS AND TO
PROMOTE THE RETENTION AND RESILIENCY OF THE WORKFORCE WITH HEIGHTENED
CAPACITY FOR MEETING AGENCY GOALS.
3.  THE ACT ALSO REQUIRES AGENCIES TO:
    A.  HAVE EACH TELEWORKER SIGN A WRITTEN AGREEMENT OUTLINING THE
SPECIFIC WORK ARRANGEMENT.
    B.  ENSURE BOTH NEW TELEWORKERS AND THEIR SUPERVISORS COMPLETE
TRAINING ON THE FUNDAMENTALS OF TELEWORK.  FOR TRAINING, GO TO:
HTTP://WWW.TELEWORK.GOV, AND SELECT TRAINING.
    C.  ENSURE THAT SUPERVISORS TREAT TELEWORKERS AND NONTELEWORKERS
EQUALLY IN THEIR PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT DECISION MAKING.
    D.  DESIGNATE A DEPARTMENTAL TELEWORK MANAGING OFFICER
RESPONSIBLE
FOR IMPLEMENTING THE THREE OBJECTIVES IN 2.A THROUGH 2.C ABOVE.
ALTHOUGH UNDER THE ACT TELEWORK TRAINING IS MANDATORY ONLY FOR
SUPERVISORS OF NEW TELEWORKERS, TAKING THE TRAINING WILL BE
BENEFICIAL FOR ALL COAST GUARD SUPERVISORS OF TELEWORKERS, CURRENT
AND NEW, TO ENHANCE THEIR AWARENESS OF TELEWORK, AND TO MORE
EFFECTIVELY MANAGE REQUESTS THEY RECEIVE FROM THEIR DIRECT REPORTS TO
TELEWORK.
4.  REFERENCE A MANDATES AGENCY PARTICIPATION IN THE ANNUAL OFFICE OF
PERSONNEL MANAGEMENT (OPM) TELEWORK DATA CALL.  SPECIFIC GUIDANCE ON
THESE DATA REQUIREMENTS IS FORTHCOMING.
5.  REFERENCE A. ALSO REQUIRES, AGENCIES TO ESTABLISH PARTICIPATION
GOALS AND ASSESS THE IMPACT OF TELEWORK ON EFFICIENCY, EFFECTIVENESS
AND SUSTAINABILITY.  THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY (DHS) IS
DEVELOPING METRICS TO ASSIST WITH THIS EFFORT.  BOTH DHS AND COAST
GUARD ARE ALSO REVISING THEIR TELEWORK POLICY GUIDANCE TO INCLUDE
THESE NEW REQUIREMENTS.
6.  THE COAST GUARD INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY INFRASTRUCTURE IS
CURRENTLY UNABLE TO HANDLE A LARGE INFLUX OF ADDITIONAL TELEWORKERS.
THE ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR COMMAND, CONTROL, COMMUNICATIONS,
COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY COMDT (CG-6) IS WORKING
DILIGENTLY ON A TECHNICAL SOLUTION AND WILL PROVIDE DETAILS AS THEY
BECOME AVAILABLE.  FOR QUESTIONS REGARDING TELEWORK TECHNOLOGY
MATTERS, CONTACT MS. BECKY SMITH, COMMANDANT (CG-641), ON (202)
475-3580.
7.  TO TAKE A MORE STRATEGIC VIEW OF TELEWORK, A WORKING GROUP IS
BEING CHARTERED TO REVIEW THE REQUIREMENTS OF REFERENCE A. AND
DETERMINE HOW TO IMPLEMENT IN A MANNER BEST SUITED TO THE COAST
GUARD.
8.  ALL COAST GUARD UNIT COMMANDERS, COMMANDING OFFICERS,
OFFICERS-IN-CHARGE, DEPUTY/ASSISTANT COMMANDANTS, AND CHIEFS OF
HEADQUARTERS STAFF ELEMENTS SHALL REVIEW AND UPDATE THE LIST OF
TELEWORK COORDINATOR ASSIGNMENTS, PROVIDING THE NAME, AREA OR UNIT OF
RESPONSIBILITY AND TELEPHONE NUMBER TO MR. RON COLEMAN, COAST GUARD
TELEWORK PROGRAM MANAGER, COMMANDANT (CG-1213).  THE CURRENT LIST OF
TELEWORK COORDINATORS CAN BE FOUND ON THE COAST GUARD CIVILIAN HUMAN
RESOURCES WEBSITE, COMMANDANT (CG-121), AT:
HTTP://WWW.USCG.MIL/CIVILIANHR/BENEFITS/TELEWORK.ASP. TELEWORK
COORDINATOR ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES CAN BE FOUND IN COMDTINST
12630.1 AT THE LINK ABOVE.
9.  GENERAL INFORMATION TO ENHANCE AWARENESS AND UNDERSTANDING OF
TELEWORK AND THE BENEFITS OF PARTICIPATING IN A TELEWORK PROGRAM,
TOGETHER WITH SPECIFIC INFORMATION ABOUT THE COAST GUARD TELEWORK
PROGRAM, CAN BE FOUND ON THE CIVILIAN HUMAN RESOURCES TELEWORK
WEBPAGE AT THE LINK ABOVE. YOU WILL FIND CURRENT COAST GUARD TELEWORK
POLICY GUIDANCE AS WELL AS LINKS TO INTERACTIVE TRAINING RESOURCES, A
SAMPLE TELEWORK AGREEMENT, DHS TELEWORK POLICY GUIDANCE, REFERENCE A,
A LIST OF COAST GUARD TELEWORK COORDINATORS, AND OTHER
TELEWORK-RELATED RESOURCES.
10.  QUESTIONS REGARDING TELEWORK MAY BE DIRECTED TO YOUR
COMMAND/UNIT TELEWORK COORDINATOR OR TO MR. RON COLEMAN ON (202)
475-5321 OR BY E-MAIL TO RON.B.COLEMAN(AT)USCG.MIL.
11.  RADM R.T. HEWITT, ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR HUMAN RESOURCES AND
RDML ROBERT E. DAY JR., ASSISTANT COMMANDANT FOR COMMAND, CONTROL,
COMMUNICATIONS, COMPUTERS AND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY, SENDS.
12.  INTERNET RELEASE AUTHORIZED.