SHOW UP Act of 2025 Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems Act of 2025
Impact
The legislation seeks to reinstate pre-pandemic telework policies, with an emphasis on reverting to the status quo as of December 31, 2019. This restoration is aimed at ensuring that agencies can assess the proper balance between in-office and remote work while examining the operational impacts experienced during the pandemic. Notably, agencies are prohibited from implementing any changes in telework policies until they have submitted detailed plans for any expansions, thus emphasizing accountability and oversight.
Summary
SB354, known as the SHOW UP Act of 2025, mandates that Executive agencies submit a study on the impact of telework and remote work arrangements implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill requires agencies to evaluate how expanded telework has affected their operations in multiple dimensions, including customer service performance, cost implications arising from telework, and the effectiveness of supporting remote work infrastructure. This study must be completed within 180 days following the enactment of the bill.
Contention
Notable points of contention surrounding SB354 may include concerns regarding the efficacy and impact of remote work on overall agency productivity and employee satisfaction. Critics may argue that returning to stringent pre-pandemic policies could hinder flexibility that many employees have come to value. Additionally, there could be opposition regarding budget concerns stemming from the associated costs of maintaining physical office space versus the potentially higher expenditure on secure remote work technologies and support for teleworking employees. These discussions bring into focus the larger conversation about the future of work in government agencies.
Requiring Effective Management and Oversight of Teleworking Employees Act or the REMOTE ActThis bill directs executive agencies to track employees' computer network activity, compare the activity of teleworking and on-site employees, and report on any deficiencies in the performance of teleworking employees.First, the bill requires each agency to establish policies to track for every employee (1) the average number of daily logins, (2) the average daily duration of the network connection, and (3) the network traffic generated while the employee works. This information must be collected from employees working primarily on-site within 180 days after the bill's enactment and from teleworking employees within one year after the bill's enactment. The bill also directs each agency to publish this data in the agency’s fiscal year budget justification materials, including a comparison of the average login rates of on-site and teleworking employees.Next, the bill directs any manager who revokes a teleworking employee's authorization to telework (due to a reason specific to that employee) to document for the employee and the agency's Human Capital Office (1) the total number of days that the employee teleworked in the six work periods immediately preceding the revocation, (2) a narrative summary of the circumstances giving rise to the revocation, and (3) any steps the manager took to discipline the employee before revoking the employee's telework authorization. Finally, agencies must report to the Chief Human Capital Officers Council about any adverse effects of telework policies on the performance of the executive agency.
Directs state agencies to submit reports detailing their telework policies; permits input from employees anonymously; directs the department of civil service to compile reports and submit a single report to the legislature.