In This Section

Remote Work

Effective August 23, 2021, Personnel Bulletin 20-06 established the Department of the Interior’s first agency-wide policy for implementing employee-initiated requests for remote work arrangements.  

Remote work is an arrangement under which an employee is not expected to report to an agency worksite on a regular and recurring basis—for remote workers, the remote work location is their official duty station (e.g., their home). 

Key provisions of the new remote work policy include: 

  • Applies to all eligible DOI employees except for SES/SL/ST employees  
  • Clarifies that a remote work arrangement is not an employee entitlement—such arrangements will be considered when they are in the best interest of the agency and are cost-effective for the Bureau/Office  
  • Requires approval of Bureau Director/Equivalent Office Head (or Bureau Deputy Director/Office Deputy Director) for the first year that the policy is implemented 
  • Establishes minimum requirements for implementing remote work arrangements, which Bureaus/Offices may supplement in their implementing procedures 
  • Requires that, if approved, the arrangement must be documented in writing via a remote work agreement, which outlines the expectations between the Bureau/Office and employee   
  • Permits overseas remote work arrangements—these must be approved by the Bureau Director/Equivalent Office Head, the Office of the Chief Information Officer, and the U.S. State Department 

DOI Remote Work Policy Documents 

DOI Bureau/Office Remote Work Policies 

DOI Employees wishing to initiate a remote work agreement need to consult their Bureau/Office supplemental policies to determine the next steps for working remotely.  The supplemental Bureau/Office remote work policies may be found below:  

Other Remote Work Resources  

Was this page helpful?

Please provide a comment