A significant milestone in the history of federal telework was the passage of the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 (Public Law 111-292). Signed into law on December 9, 2010, this legislation established a clear and comprehensive framework for telework across all federal executive agencies. It required agencies to create telework policies allowing eligible employees to telework to the maximum extent possible without diminishing their performance. The Act also defined telework, assigned specific roles and responsibilities to key federal agencies such as the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), General Services Administration (GSA), and Office of Management and Budget (OMB), and set baseline expectations for telework programs. This law was transformative in making telework a core part of federal workforce management and helped agencies respond quickly to telework needs during emergencies like the COVID-19 pandemic
. Before this, other legislative efforts laid the groundwork, including:
- Public Law 106-346 (2000) , which required federal agencies to establish telework policies and offer telework opportunities to eligible employees.
- The Telework Improvements Act of 2006 , which aimed to reduce barriers and expand telework opportunities.
- Earlier initiatives like the 1990 legislation allowing agencies to pay for telephone lines and equipment for telecommuters, which helped remove early barriers to telework adoption
However, the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010 remains the most comprehensive and pivotal legislation in federal telework history.
