§587 Telecommuting and Other Alternative Workplace Arrangements

Summary

The General Services Administration (GSA) can create, equip, and run telecommuting centers — shared work sites for people who work away from a main office. Federal employees get first use. State, local, and private workers can use any leftover space. The GSA must charge users a fee that is close to commercial rates and at least enough to cover setup, operation, renovation, and replacement costs. The GSA can put fees into the Federal Buildings Fund and can accept other income to pay center costs. The GSA may also give help and oversight to people setting up other kinds of alternative workplaces. Definitions: telecommuting centers — flexiplace work centers; alternative workplace arrangements — things like telecommuting, hoteling, and virtual offices; flexiplace work telecommuting program — a program letting agency employees work at a telecommuting center or under similar federal rules. Agency leaders must think about these alternatives before getting new space. Each of 20 specified departments and agencies must set aside at least $50,000 each fiscal year from salaries-and-expenses funds to run a flexiplace telecommuting program.