WASHINGTON, May 4 (UPI) -- The Bush administration wants to create a telework system that could function during a national flu crisis.
The White House plan released Wednesday for responding to a possible influenza pandemic requires the Office of Personnel Management to update its telework guidance to provide instructions for alternative workplace options during an outbreak, GovExec.com reported.
The new plan calls for an OPM telework guide and two courses, one for managers and the other for employees, to be updated within three months. Within the same time frame, the personnel agency would need to provide guidance on continuity of operations planning and human capital management, the report said.
The 234-page "National Strategy for Pandemic Influenza Implementation Plan" focuses on urging state and local government entities to make preparations. It also requires the Department of Homeland Security to provide within six months guidance on pandemic influenza continuity of operations planning.
In a statement, OPM Director Linda Springer said her agency already has established an internal pandemic working group that will partner with chief human capital officers to develop a guidance intended to prevent a government shutdown.
"We are evaluating issues for which guidance exists, needs revision or should be developed and are identifying communication vehicles for getting information out to federal employees," Springer said. "I am confident we will meet the timeline specified in the president's implementation plan."
William Mularie, a longtime advocate for telework and chief executive officer of the federally sponsored Telework Consortium, told GovExec.com that the pandemic plan and requirements are timely and well thought out. He said the recently announced General Services Administration guidance establishing government-wide rules for working away from the office is a good place for OPM to start.
