WASHINGTON – U.S. Sen. Ron Johnson (R-Wis.), ranking member of the Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations, sent letters to seventeen agencies regarding the use of telework.  The letters, which were sent Wednesday, requested that each agency provide the number of employees currently teleworking and explain how it tracks the productivity of those employees.

Over a year and a half after federal agencies were advised to maximize telework due to COVID-19, “it is unclear the extent to which government employees are still teleworking,” the senator wrote.

The letters are linked below:

1. Department of Agriculture;
2. Department of Commerce;
3. Department of Defense;
4. Department of Education;
5. Department of Energy;
6. Department of Health and Human Services;
7. Department of Homeland Security;
8. Department of Housing and Urban Development;
9. Department of Interior;
10. Department of Justice;
11. Department of Labor;
12. Department of Transportation;
13. Department of Treasury;
14. Department of State;
15. Department of Veterans Affairs;
16. Environmental Protection Agency; and
17. Small Business Administration.

The full text of the letters is below:

December 8, 2021

On March 17, 2020, following the declaration of a national emergency related to COVID-19, the Office of Management and Budget called for executive branch agencies and departments to “maximize telework across the national for the Federal workforce[.]”  Over a year and a half later, it is unclear the extent to which government employees are still teleworking.      

In order to better understand the working location of your agency’s employees, I respectfully request the following information, broken down by subcomponent, as of December 1, 2021:

1. The number of individuals currently employed by your agency.

2. The number of individuals who are:
1. Working full time in person at one of your agencies physical locations;
2. Teleworking full time;
3. Working a hybrid schedule that combines both telework and in office schedule.

3. The total number of agency employees who are fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
1. The total number of agency employees who have received a booster.

4. For the employees that are teleworking, how are you tracking employee productivity? 
1. Please provide a breakdown of your agency’s workforce productivity for Fiscal Years 2019, 2020, and 2021.

5. Has your agency closed physical office space locations since March 2020 in light of increased telework among your agency’s workforce?  If so, please provide the estimated cost savings associated with office closures.    

Please provide this information as soon as possible but no later than 5:00 p.m. on December 22, 2021.

Sincerely,

Ron Johnson

Ranking Member

Permanent Subcommittee on Investigations

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