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Austin announces new work from home policy for its employees
Published: Sat, 11/25/23
Austin announces new work from home policy for its employees
The initiative is starting to help the city reach its climate goals for the future.
Woman sitting on a desk using a laptop computer while working from home. Business, freelance and home office concept.
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MYSA
By Cristela Jones
Arguably the one positive thing to come out of the COVID-19 pandemic was the ability to work from home. Three years later and plenty of businesses have required employees to return to the office, but just as many people are requesting to stay home. Workers in Austin in this situation, they have some positive news to look forward to.
In 2024, City of Austin employees will be eligible to work from home 50% of the time, according to the city's new telework policy. The initiative is starting to help the city reach its climate goals for the future.
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Earlier this year in May, Interim City Manager Jesús Garza announced many city employees would be returning to the office by the end of 2023. This caused employees to protest and a union representing Austin and Travis County employees — AFSCME Local 1624 — to fight the request.
Employees cited a better work-life balance and remote flexibility, like less time in traffic, as some of the main reasons why they'd prefer to work from home, according to KXAN reporting.
“I know when I announced a Citywide standard, employees were concerned about changing their schedules. Some felt they were losing what many viewed as a new benefit the city had been able to offer. But at the heart of our organization is our ability to serve the public and be available for those city needs. It is through that lens that I am announcing a new policy that will be implemented by each department effective January 1, 2024,” Garza said in a memo to city employees on November 17.
The policy allows some city employees the option to spend 50% of their time working from home within a two-week time frame. City executives and operational staff will be excluded from the benefits. Other employees like those that work in call centers, IT, and some engineering positions may be able to work entirely from home, according to the memo.
“I believe this policy accounts for the modern working environment and the ability to effectively telework, balancing our need to be accessible to the public,” Garza wrote in the memo.
Vanessa Fuentes, an Austin-area district council member, brought forward a resolution in November recommending telework opportunities for city employees that could help propel the city toward its climate goals. Fuentes told KXAN News she was “very pleased” with Garza’s new telework policy.