August 3, 2023
Last week, the National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE-IAM) received a favorable decision from the Federal Service Impasse Panel (FSIP), which grants NFFE-IAM Local 476 members an extra telework day per pay period. FSIP member Pam Schwartz concluded from the evidence presented by the NFFE legal team that employees at Aberdeen Proving Ground should return to the office three days per pay period, rather than the four days as proposed by the Department of Defense (DoD).
FSIP Member Schwartz credited NFFE’s survey evidence and testimony as to the effectiveness of increased telework and the employees’ ability to successfully perform their duties while teleworking. She contrasted the union’s persuasive evidence with the largely conclusory and unsupported statements by the DoD that its mission and leadership development required the additional day per pay period in the office.
“Member Schwartz’s decision appropriately focuses on whether the Aberdeen Proving Ground mission can be accomplished through telework and the actual need for on-site presence,” said NFFE National President Randy Erwin. “The decision rejects the Agency’s unreasoned demand for employees to be on site for an arbitrary number of days. Federal employees have demonstrated their ability to maintain effectiveness and carry out their duties via telework over the past few years. This precedent reinforces that notion and will help our members in many places across the DoD as we fight for our members’ rights regarding the future of work.”