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Key Considerations for Agencies Returning Employees to Workplaces during Pandemics (GAO-20-650T)

Summary

GAO testimony, GAO-20-650T, before the Subcommittee on Government Operations of the House Committee on Oversight and Reform on June 25, 2020. It is the statement of J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director, Strategic Issues, on key considerations for federal agencies returning employees to workplaces during pandemics. It states that the challenges from the COVID-19 global outbreak present critical workforce issues for federal agencies to assess and address. Drawing on GAO's prior work on pandemics and human capital, it says agencies should consider a range of factors to carry out their missions while protecting their workforce.

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                            United States Government Accountability Office
                            Testimony
                            Before the Subcommittee on
                            Government Operations, Committee on
                            Oversight and Reform, House of
                            Representatives
                            FEDERAL WORKFORCE
For Release on Delivery
Expected at 10:00 a.m. ET
Thursday, June 25, 2020



                            Key Considerations for
                            Agencies Returning
                            Employees to Workplaces
                            during Pandemics
                            Statement of J. Christopher Mihm, Managing Director,
                            Strategic Issues




GAO-20-650T
                                                June 25, 2020

                                                FEDERAL WORKFORCE
                                                Key Considerations for Agencies Returning
                                                Employees to Workplaces during Pandemics
Highlights of GAO-20-650T, a
testimony before the Subcommittee on
Government Operations, Committee
on Oversight and Reform, House of
Representatives

Why GAO Did This Study                          What GAO Found
Federal employees perform critical
functions across multiple mission               The rapidly escalating challenges from the Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-
areas, from those vital to the long-term        19) global outbreak present critical workforce issues for federal agencies to
well-being of the country to those              assess and address. GAO’s prior work on pandemics and human capital issues
directly charged with aspects of public         has shown that agencies should consider a range of factors to carry out their
safety. Major emergencies, such as the          missions while protecting their workforce and the members of the public with
COVID-19 pandemic, can pose threats             whom they interact.
to employees’ safety and conditions
may ebb and flow over an extended               Key considerations for federal workers’ reentry to workplaces. As federal
period. During these situations, federal        agencies manage operations during the COVID-19 pandemic and plan for their
agencies have a responsibility to               employees to safely return to workplaces, GAO’s prior work has shown that it is
provide an environment for employees            important for agencies to identify mission essential functions that cannot be
to perform their jobs safely and                performed remotely when deciding who needs to return to the office. Agencies
effectively.                                    should also consider the exposure risk level and local conditions when deciding
                                                whether to reopen offices across the country. To protect employees as they
This statement provides (1) key
                                                reenter the workforce, it will be important for agencies to have appropriate
considerations based on GAO’s prior
work for federal agencies as federal            protection measures in place. For example, agencies should consider how they
workers reenter the workplace; (2) an           can ensure adequate distribution of hygiene supplies. They should also consider
illustrative example of how the Census          changes to the work environment to reduce workplace hazards, and implement
Bureau was forced to suspend major              social distancing strategies.
Decennial Census field operations and           How the Census Bureau decided to resume Decennial Census operations.
the process it used to resume                   The U.S. Census Bureau offers an example of how an agency suspended and
operations; and (3) key practices for
                                                resumed operations under the current pandemic. In March 2020, the U.S.
ensuring telework contributes to
                                                Census Bureau suspended field operations of the Decennial Census and took a
continuity of operations. This statement
is based on a large body of GAO work
                                                phased approach to resuming operations at its area census offices. As of June
on pandemic preparedness, reviews of            11, all area census offices had resumed operations. Key aspects of resuming
the Decennial Census, and federal               operations at area census offices included: (1) taking a phased approach to
human capital management issued                 restarting operations, such as resuming operations that required less physical
from July 2003 through June 2020.               interaction first; (2) making operational changes to minimize face-to-face
                                                interactions; (3) addressing worker safety concerns; and (4) communicating
                                                pandemic plans to ensure continued operations.
                                                Key practices for ensuring telework contributes to continuity of operations.
                                                Several key practices GAO previously identified are useful for agencies to help
                                                ensure telework contributes to continuity of operations during the current
                                                pandemic and in the future. Specifically, agencies should consider based on their
                                                current experiences whether: (1) their policies and guidance related to telework
                                                are sufficient to ensure that their workforces are telework ready and balances are
                                                struck between employees’ personal circumstances and work responsibilities; (2)
                                                the extent to which their telework infrastructure, including technical support and
                                                security, is adequate to support increased telework; (3) procedures and
                                                standards are in place that ensure telework does not diminish organizational and
                                                employee performance; and (4) the processes, procedures, and tracking systems
                                                to collect data provide the information needed to evaluate the use of telework.
                                                These assessments will assist agencies in considering broader changes to their
View GAO-20-650T. For more information,         policies and procedures related to telework as employees are called back to their
contact J. Christopher Mihm at (202) 512-6806
or MihmJ@gao.gov and Michelle Rosenberg         duty stations.
at (202) 512-6806 or RosenbergM@gao.gov.
                                                                                        United States Government Accountability Office
Letter   Letter




         Chairman Connolly, Ranking Member Hice, and Members of the
         Subcommittee:

         I am pleased to be here today to discuss how our previous work on
         pandemics, the 2020 Decennial Census and federal telework, may inform
         key decisions by federal agencies as they plan to safely return federal
         employees to their official duty stations. In the event of emergencies
         including the current Coronavirus Disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic,
         federal employees responsible for supporting their agencies’ mission
         essential functions are expected to continue their work in order to sustain
         agency operations.

         Federal employees perform functions across a multitude of mission
         areas, from those vital to the long-term well-being of the country—such as
         environmental protection, intelligence, social work, and financial
         services—to those directly charged with aspects of public safety—
         including corrections, airport and aviation safety, medical services, border
         protection, and agricultural safety. The rapidly escalating challenges from
         the COVID-19 global outbreak present critical workforce issues for federal
         agencies to assess and address. Major emergencies, such as the
         COVID-19 pandemic, can pose threats to employees’ safety and
         hazardous conditions may ebb and flow over an extended period. Federal
         agencies have a responsibility to provide an environment for employees
         to perform their jobs safely and effectively.

         This statement provides (1) key considerations for federal agencies as
         federal workers reenter the workplace; (2) an illustrative example of how
         the Census Bureau (Bureau) was forced to suspend major Decennial
         Census field operations and the process it used to resume operations;
         and (3) key practices for ensuring telework contributes to continuity of
         operations and lessons learned for telework to inform opportunities going
         forward.

         We have recently initiated reviews of federal agencies’ use of telework
         and continuity of operations (COOP) plans in response to the COVID-19
         pandemic. 1 As part of that work, we plan to assess how agencies
         incorporate the key considerations and practices we have identified
         related to pandemic preparedness and telework. We also plan to review
         the successes and challenges agencies experienced managing

         1These reviews are being conducted as part of our work in response to GAO’s oversight
         responsibilities under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (CARES
         Act), Pub. L. No. 116-136, § 19010, 134 Stat. 281, at 579-81 (2020).




         Page 1                                                   GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
                       operations throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, including lessons learned
                       and planned changes to better prepare agencies for the future.

                       This statement is based on our body of work on pandemic preparedness,
                       federal human capital management, and reviews of the Decennial
                       Census issued primarily between July 2003 and June 2020. 2 More
                       detailed information on our objectives, scope, and methodology for that
                       work can be found in the issued reports.

                       We conducted the work on which this statement is based in accordance
                       with generally accepted government auditing standards. Those standards
                       require that we plan and perform the audit to obtain sufficient, appropriate
                       evidence to provide a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions
                       based on our audit objectives. We believe the evidence obtained provides
                       a reasonable basis for our findings and conclusions based on our audit
                       objectives.

                       We have previously reported on how federal agencies were planning to
Key Considerations     protect their federal workers during a pandemic, as well as lessons
for Federal Workers’   learned from the H1N1 pandemic, the most recent pandemic experienced
                       by our nation prior to COVID-19. 3 Based on these lessons, and further
Reentry to             informed by more recent events, we have identified key issues for federal
Workplaces             agencies to consider as their employees reenter the workplace. 4




                       2GAO, 2020 Census: COVID-19 Presents Delays and Risks to Census Count,
                       GAO-20-551R (Washington, D.C.: June 9, 2020); Influenza Pandemic: Agencies Report
                       Progress in Plans to Protect Federal Workers but Oversight Could Be Improved,
                       GAO-12-748 (Washington, D.C.: July 25, 2012); Emergency Preparedness: Agencies
                       Need Coordinated Guidance on Incorporating Telework into Emergency and Continuity
                       Planning, GAO-11-628 (Washington, D.C.: July 22, 2011); Influenza Pandemic: Lessons
                       from the H1N1 Pandemic Should Be Incorporated into Future Planning, GAO-11-632
                       (Washington, D.C.: June 27, 2011); Influenza Pandemic: Increased Agency Accountability
                       Could Help Protect Federal Employees Serving the Public in the Event of a Pandemic,
                       GAO-09-404 (Washington, D.C.: June 12, 2009); and Human Capital: Further Guidance,
                       Assistance, and Coordination Can Improve Federal Telework Efforts, GAO-03-679
                       (Washington, D.C.: July 18, 2003).
                       3GAO-12-748; GAO-11-632; GAO-09-404.


                       4We drew these key considerations from surveys we conducted with the 24 agencies
                       covered by the Chief Financial Officers Act of 1990 in 2012 and 2009. Those surveys
                       provided an overview of governmentwide influenza pandemic preparedness efforts.
                       (GAO-12-748 and GAO-09-404).




                       Page 2                                                   GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
Maintain Continuous          Agencies should maintain continuous communication with employees,
Communication with           and their representatives, during a pandemic. In particular, agencies
                             should identify employee concerns and communicate human capital
Employees
                             guidance such as pay, leave, staffing, and other human capital flexibilities
                             to employees to help to ensure the continuity of agencies’ operations and
                             mission essential functions. It is important that employees understand the
                             policies and requirements of their agencies, and the alternatives, such as
                             telework, that may be available to them. Continuous communication will
                             also help agencies to provide real-time information to employees as
                             conditions evolve.

Identify Mission-Essential   Employees who must work onsite during a pandemic will face varying
Functions and Employees,     levels of exposure risk. The level of risk depends, in part, on whether or
                             not they will be in close proximity to people potentially infected with the
and Classify Their
                             virus. As a first step, it is important that agencies identify mission
Exposure Risk Level          essential functions that cannot be performed remotely, as well as the
                             related number of employees who will perform those functions and their
                             risk of exposure. Agencies should consider how they will continue to
                             update their determinations and monitor the associated risks, as these
                             factors could affect decisions on reentry as conditions evolve.

Make Decisions about         It is important for federal agencies to factor-in local conditions of the
Reentry Based on Local       pandemic at the component and facility level in their determinations
                             regarding workforce reentry rather than applying across-the-board
Conditions                   decisions based on agencies’ headquarters locations. 5 Agencies should
                             consider making decisions about reentry, including precautions and
                             safeguards agencies take, based on the local prevalence of the pandemic
                             at each site. As agencies consider local conditions for reentry, they
                             should share information and cooperate with other agencies located in
                             the same area. These reentry decisions could change over time as the
                             pandemic progresses, such as if there is a second or third wave of
                             outbreaks. 6 It is important that agencies’ plans to protect their workforce
                             for a pandemic are operational at all levels of the organization; particularly
                             for those workers who have to perform mission-essential functions onsite.




                             5Components refer to subordinate entities of departments, such as component agencies,
                             field or regional offices, or other operating divisions.
                             6GAO, Science & Tech Spotlight: CORONAVIRUSES, GAO-20-472SP (Washington, D.C.:
                             Mar. 3, 2020).




                             Page 3                                                     GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
Have Appropriate         To protect employees as they reenter their workplaces, agencies should
Protection Measures in   have appropriate protection measures in place, by exposure risk level.
                         For example, an agency could make changes to the work environment to
Place to Protect
                         reduce workplace hazards, such as by installing sneeze guards as a
Employees                barrier between employees who must have frequent contact with other
                         employees or the public. Additionally, an agency could provide personal
                         protective equipment (PPE), such as surgical masks, gloves, and N-95
                         respirators, to employees which, if used correctly, can help prevent some
                         exposures.

                         Agencies will want to ensure that they have an adequate supply of
                         hygiene supplies, such as hand sanitizers, and a plan for distributing
                         those supplies within the agency. Some basic hygiene precautions, such
                         as encouraging employees to wash their hands or use a hand sanitizer
                         after they cough, sneeze, or blow their noses, can be implemented in
                         every workplace. Agencies will also want to provide supplemental
                         cleaning programs for common areas.

Implement Social         Avoiding crowded settings through social distancing strategies is one of
Distancing Strategies    the best ways to prevent infection during an influenza pandemic. 7
                         Agencies can implement various social distancing strategies to avoid
                         situations that increase workers’ risk of exposure to a pandemic virus. For
                         those functions that can be performed remotely, agencies may consider
                         maximizing the use of telework, which is discussed in greater detail later
                         in this statement.

                         Other strategies agencies should consider include avoiding unnecessary
                         travel, restricting in-person meetings and gatherings, and allowing flexible
                         schedules to reduce the number of employees in the building at the same
                         time. Agencies should also consider workplace reconfiguration (such as
                         building walls or partitions between workstations), office-specific protocols
                         (such as limiting personal contacts among staff), and making decisions
                         about reopening office fitness and childcare centers as part of separate
                         risk-based decision processes.



                         7Social distancing is a technique used to minimize close contact among persons in public
                         places, such as work sites and public areas, with the intent of reducing the rate of
                         transmission of infectious diseases. COVID-19 has brought social distancing practices to
                         the forefront worldwide as a means of controlling local spread of the disease. GAO,
                         Science & Tech Spotlight: Social Distancing During Pandemics, GAO-20-545SP
                         (Washington, D.C., May 13, 2020).




                         Page 4                                                    GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
Establish Protocols to      When medical countermeasures—such as antivirals and vaccines—are
Prioritize and Distribute   developed, it will be important for agencies to decide the extent to which
                            these countermeasures will be provided to employees. 8 In cases where
Antivirals and Vaccines
                            countermeasures are going to be provided to employees, agencies
                            should consider actions necessary to procure them, and establish clearly-
                            defined, well-documented, and consistently-applied protocols to prioritize
                            and allocate their distribution.

                            The Bureau presents an illustrative example on continuity of operations
Decennial Census—           and decision making for resumption of operations. The Bureau has both
Considerations Made         permanent staff in headquarters and a large local field infrastructure of
                            248 Area Census Offices (ACO) with short-term staff to implement the
as Area Offices             decennial census.
Resume Field
                            On March 11, 2020, the World Health Organization declared COVID-19 a
Operations                  pandemic, just a day before invitations to respond to the 2020 Census
                            were scheduled to arrive in mailboxes across the country, and as peak
                            census operations were set to begin. In March and April 2020, the Bureau
                            suspended operations until June 1 and extended key operations. Since
                            that time, the Bureau announced it would resume operations at additional
                            ACOs each week, and as of June 11 all ACOs had resumed operations.
                            Key aspects of reopening Bureau ACOs included (1) a phased approach
                            to resuming operations, (2) operational changes in response to
                            challenges related to COVID-19, (3) addressing worker safety concerns,
                            (4) communicating pandemic plans to ensure continued operations, and
                            (5) contingency planning for risks.

Phased Approach to          The Bureau took a phased approach to resuming operations at its ACOs.
Resuming Operations         To make these decisions, the Bureau considered multiple factors
                            including whether the state in which each ACO was located had begun
                            phased reopening, whether data on federally established health criteria
                            supported the decision to restart, and whether the Bureau could meet the
                            safety needs of ACO employees and the public. In our late May survey of
                            ACO managers, responses on the Bureau’s efforts to reopen offices
                            varied. For example, 66 percent of ACO managers responding to our late
                            May survey reported satisfaction with the process of recalling office staff,


                            8Medical countermeasures for use during a pandemic may include vaccines, antiviral
                            drugs, personal respirators, and diagnostic tests. Vaccine, considered the first line of
                            defense against a virus, is used to stimulate the production of an immune system
                            response to protect the body from disease. Antiviral drugs are medications that can
                            prevent or reduce the severity of a viral infection.




                            Page 5                                                       GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
                           68 percent with readiness to conduct field operations, and 75 percent with
                           readiness to conduct office operations.

                           Operations resumed in a phased manner not only by office, but also by
                           function. As the Bureau resumed operations, it was able to resume
                           operations that required less physical interaction, such as Update Leave,
                           in which field staff deliver questionnaires to homes that might not receive
                           mail delivered to their doors. Operations that require interviewing
                           residents, such as Non-Response Follow Up, were delayed until August.

Operational Changes to     The Bureau has also made a number of changes to its 2020 Census
Maintain Social Distance   operations to minimize face-to-face interactions. The Bureau modified its
                           Update Leave operation, directing field staff to update the addresses by
in Response to
                           observation when delivering a questionnaire, instead of knocking on
Challenges Related to      doors to speak with residents.
COVID-19
                           To reduce in-person contact for the Group Quarters operation, which
                           enumerates facilities such as prisons, nursing facilities, and college
                           dormitories, Bureau officials told us they were contacting facilities to
                           encourage them to shift from in-person enumeration to electronic
                           responses. In late April, the Bureau also authorized its ACOs to call those
                           facilities that had previously opted to respond by providing a paper listing
                           of residents. Census staff asked the facilities to mail the listing back to the
                           ACO rather than having the ACO send staff to pick up the paper listing.

Addressing Worker Safety   The Bureau stated that it will coordinate with federal, state, and local
Concerns                   health officials to put appropriate protocols and procedures in place and
                           ensure adequate PPE and cleaning supplies. In early May, the Bureau
                           announced that it had ordered this equipment for all field staff and that
                           these materials would be secured and provided before resumption of
                           operations.

                           Bureau officials told us they are distributing PPE and cleaning supplies to
                           its 248 ACOs on a rolling basis, prioritizing delivery to those ACOs that
                           were resuming major field operations, such as Update Leave. In our late
                           May survey, ACO manager satisfaction was relatively high regarding PPE
                           for staff conducting Update Leave (66 percent), the largest field operation
                           being conducted at the time. In contrast, managers at that time reported
                           some of their lowest satisfaction rates when asked about PPE adequacy
                           for their office and field workers more generally (34 and 43 percent,
                           respectively).




                           Page 6                                             GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
                            ACO managers reported higher satisfaction in late May than in early April
                            with their ACO’s ability to safely manage employees and operations
                            during the pandemic (increasing from 55 to 65 percent on average across
                            three questions on this topic). Despite this increase in confidence,
                            managers expressed concerns regarding worker safety in open-ended
                            comments. For example, in late May managers expressed concerns
                            regarding how fingerprinting of large numbers of staff—necessary to fulfill
                            the census mission—could be conducted safely under conditions of social
                            distancing. In addition, more than 15 comments in early April and 11 in
                            late May expressed concerns about the ability of the ACO management
                            teams to telework. These included concerns about the inadequate
                            number of laptops and who was expected to report to their local office.

Communicating Pandemic      The Bureau created a COVID-19 Internal Task Force to create a
Plans to Ensure Continued   communications plan and appropriate workforce flexibilities. The Bureau
                            sent emails to regional staff with updated information on delaying field
Operations
                            operations and prepared documents to answer questions about the
                            delays, office operating status, payroll, hiring, and training.

                            Responses to our surveys of ACO managers highlighted the need for the
                            Bureau to ensure open lines of communications. Between early April and
                            late May, respondent satisfaction increased regarding the timeliness and
                            clarity of Bureau communication about its pandemic plan; however,
                            satisfaction in these areas remained relatively low. Specifically, reported
                            satisfaction increased for communication timeliness (from 35 to 45
                            percent) and clarity (from 42 to 51 percent). More than 50 ACO managers
                            commented about communication challenges such as conflicting direction
                            from different sources and guidance received shortly before the
                            implementation date.

Contingency Planning for    In May 2019, we reported that the Bureau did not have contingency plans
Risks Including an          for many identified risks including for major disasters—such as an
                            epidemic—and recommended that it develop contingency plans for all
Epidemic                    risks that did not have one. 9 The Bureau updated its risk register for major
                            disasters to include a contingency plan.

                            According to the Bureau’s March 2020 risk register, the contingency plan
                            for any major disaster—including an epidemic—is rapid response,

                            9The Bureau agreed with this recommendation and stated in May 2020 that it planned to
                            have evidence of mitigation and contingency plans by August 2020. GAO, 2020 Census:
                            Additional Actions Needed to Manage Risk, GAO-19-399 (Washington, D.C.: May 31,
                            2019).




                            Page 7                                                  GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
                        meaning the Bureau would develop a plan to address the risk once it was
                        realized. Bureau officials told us that, depending on the type of major
                        disaster, response would vary widely and even if they had a more
                        detailed contingency plan for a pandemic it would have never addressed
                        the magnitude of the current national emergency that is taking place
                        across the country.

                        We have identified key practices in telework-related literature and
Key Practices for       guidelines that federal agencies should implement in developing telework
Ensuring Telework       programs. 10 Also, in 2011, we reported that the Office of Personnel
                        Management, the General Services Administration, and the Federal
Contributes to          Emergency Management Agency had suggested several practices to
Continuity of           federal agencies, in various telework or emergency-related guidance
                        documents, for how to ensure telework is part of continuity of operations
Operations during the   planning. 11 These practices generally align with those we previously
Current Pandemic        identified.
and Provides an         Based on this prior work, we have identified several practices that may be
Expanded Workforce      especially useful for agencies to help ensure telework programs
                        contribute to continuity of operations during COVID-19 and other major
Option in the Future    emergencies. These practices may be especially important if substantial
                        numbers of employees remain out of their workplaces for an extended
                        period or if agencies need to reverse their reentry decisions based on
                        changing public health circumstances. In addition, agencies’ experiences
                        with telework during the current pandemic may suggest opportunities to
                        increase the availability of telework in the future. These practices can be
                        grouped into four general categories: (1) policies and guidance related to
                        telework; (2) technology; (3) performance management; and (4) program
                        evaluation.

Policies and Guidance   Major emergencies, such as a pandemic, underscore the importance of
Related to Telework     establishing and updating clear policies and guidance related to telework
                        as agencies’ continuity of operations may depend on employees working
                        remotely for extended periods. 12 Agencies should assess whether their

                        10GAO-03-679.


                        11GAO-11-628.


                        12Policies and guidance related to telework include not only generally applicable telework
                        policies and guidance but also telework- related direction in agencies’ continuity of
                        operations (COOP) plans. Under the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, agencies are
                        required to incorporate telework into their COOP plans. Pub. L. No. 111-292, § 2(a), 124
                        Stat. 3165, 3167 (2010), codified at 5 U.S.C. § 6504(d).




                        Page 8                                                     GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
             policies and guidance were sufficient to ensure that their workforces were
             telework ready and understood the agency’s expectation of employees
             regarding teleworking during this emergency. The current crisis presents
             an opportunity for agencies to assess their established policies or
             requirements to ensure that they (1) balance employees’ personal
             circumstances and work responsibilities, and (2) effectively facilitated
             communication and engagement among teleworkers, managers, and
             coworkers. Agencies should institute processes for communicating
             human-capital guidance for emergencies (e.g., pay, leave, benefits) to
             ensure they worked effectively.

             For example, agencies should consider whether emergency employees
             (including COOP employees) knew in advance about their mission critical
             status. If not, agencies should ensure that, in case of future emergencies
             including a potential resurgence of COVID-19, employees are notified
             about requirements to report for work, remain at work, work at home, or
             report to an alternative work site when government operations are
             disrupted.

             Similarly, agencies should consider whether their guidance on workplace
             health and safety issues was adequate to ensure that teleworkers had
             safe and adequate places to work off-site, and whether information-
             security training was provided to all individuals, or managers of
             individuals, who teleworked during the current pandemic. It is important
             for agencies to correct any identified deficiencies in the guidance and
             training to improve the use of telework going forward, including for future
             emergency situations that may again require telework.

Technology   We have reported that technology concerns are frequently cited barriers
             to telework. 13 To effectively use telework as a tool to continue operations
             during major emergencies, agencies must have an appropriate
             information technology infrastructure in place that allows large numbers of
             employees to telework simultaneously. As such, it is important for
             agencies to assess the extent to which their telework infrastructure was
             adequate to support increased telework, especially during peak periods,
             including whether technical support was sufficient, and address any
             access and security issues they identify.



             13GAO has recently initiated a review of telework information technology infrastructure and
             plans to assess agencies initial experiences implementing their telework solutions in
             response to the COVID-19 pandemic.




             Page 9                                                     GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
Performance Management   Ensuring established organizational performance standards are met is
                         important to maintaining agency operations whether employees are
                         physically present in the office or working remotely. During extended
                         periods of remote work, this could include setting expectations and
                         preferences for how employees communicate with supervisors before
                         telework arrangements begin. Agencies should consider whether their
                         existing procedures and standards meet the needs of employees who
                         teleworked and whether they ensured that telework did not diminish
                         employee and organizational performance.

Program Evaluation       Evaluation of telework may help agencies better understand the impact
                         their increased use of telework had on their ability to achieve goals and
                         accomplish missions, and could allow them to make adjustments to
                         telework moving forward as employees are expected to return to their
                         duty stations. As part of such an evaluation, agencies should assess
                         whether their processes, procedures, and tracking systems to collect data
                         provided the information needed to evaluate telework.

                         In conclusion, federal agencies have a responsibility to provide safe
                         workplaces for employees to perform their jobs. The evolving and growing
                         challenges from the COVID-19 pandemic present critical workforce safety
                         issues for federal agencies to assess and address as they seek to
                         continue their operations. As I have discussed today, agencies should
                         consider a number of factors when making decisions about employees
                         reentering workplaces. Lessons learned from previous pandemic
                         emergencies, as well as from telework use to ensure continuity of
                         operations, can be helpful as agencies navigate ongoing workforce safety
                         and productivity challenges. Consideration of these factors and lessons
                         learned from agencies’ current experiences may better prepare agencies
                         to address and respond to challenges from ongoing and future
                         emergencies.

                         Chairman Connolly, Ranking Member Hice, and Members of the
                         Subcommittee, this concludes my prepared statement. I would be happy
                         to respond to any questions you may have.



                         If you or your staff have any questions about this testimony, please
GAO Contact and          contact J. Christopher Mihm at (202) 512-6806 or MihmJ@gao.gov, or
Staff                    Michelle B. Rosenberg at (202) 512-6806 or RosenbergM@gao.gov.
Acknowledgments

                         Page 10                                        GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
           Individuals making key contributions to this testimony include Clifton G.
           Douglas, Jr., Alexandra Edwards, Sarah E. Veale (Assistant Directors),
           Keith O’Brien (Analyst-in-Charge), Ulyana Panchishin, Maya Chakko,
           Karin Fangman, Steven Putansu, and Jacqueline Chapin. Key
           contributors for the earlier work that supports this testimony are listed in
           each product.




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           Page 11                                            GAO-20-650T Federal Workforce
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