§587 Telecommuting and other alternative workplace arrangements

Summary

GSA can buy, set up, and equip telecommuting centers for people to work outside a main federal office. Telecommuting centers = flexiplace work telecommuting centers. GSA must give federal employees first choice to use the centers. State and local government workers and private-sector people may use them only if federal employees do not fill them. GSA must charge a user fee that is about the same as commercial rates and at least enough to cover the cost of creating and running the center, including reasonable renovation and replacing furniture and equipment. GSA may put those fees into the Federal Buildings Fund and may accept and keep income from federal and nonfederal sources to help pay for the centers. Alternative workplace arrangements include telecommuting, hoteling, virtual offices, and other distributed work setups. Agency heads must consider using these arrangements before acquiring new space or buildings. GSA may give guidance and help to anyone setting them up. Each fiscal year, at least $50,000 of the salaries-and-expenses money for each of these agencies is set aside only for a flexiplace work telecommuting program for employees of: Agriculture, Commerce, Defense, Education, Energy, Health and Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Interior, Justice, Labor, State, Transportation, Treasury, Veterans Affairs, Environmental Protection Agency, General Services Administration, Office of Personnel Management, Small Business Administration, Social Security Administration, and the United States Postal Service.