AFGE and the National Science Foundation (NSF) Nov. 17 signed a new four-year collective bargaining agreement with several new benefits, including expanded telework and remote work as the two parties work together to find a new way to achieve efficiency and work-life balance.
NSF is an important agency that supports research and administers funding for U.S. colleges, universities, and businesses to conduct basic research in various fields such as biology, geosciences, mathematics, computer science, and the social sciences. The new contract is a result of mid-term bargaining between NSF and AFGE Local 3403 that began earlier this year.
Under the new contract, most employees are eligible to telework for up to 8 days per pay period. Previously, telework was limited to mostly one day a week.
About 150 managers and non-managers are currently allowed to do remote work, which is defined as not needing to come into the NSF Headquarters more than twice per year. Before the new policy, only eight people were allowed.
The new remote work program will be assessed at the end of every quarter, the next of which is March 2023, to gauge the impact on the mission and workforce. The Local hopes to expand the numbers of remote workers at the end of the review period.
The new telework and remote work policy is a reflection of lessons learned during COVID that the nature of most work at NSF could be done remotely.
A few other highlights in the new program:
“Telework and remote work are important tools for achieving a resilient and results-oriented workforce. Balancing work and family responsibilities and meeting environmental, financial, and commuting concerns are among its advantages,” said NSF and AFGE Local 3403 in a joint statement after the new contract took effect. “In recognizing these benefits, both parties also acknowledge that the needs of the agency to accomplish its mission are essential.”
“The new and revised articles are a solid collaboration between labor and management and are designed to create the kind of workplace that staff find supportive and productive,” said Local 3403 President David Verardo. “As we note in the joint statement, this is a down payment on hybrid work and enhancements to workforce life.”
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