Audit of Department of Health and Human Services Hybrid Work Environment

Hybrid work is a flexible work model that supports a blend of onsite work, telework, remote work, mobile work, and/or dispersed teams. Under the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) guidelines, Federal agencies have discretion to define the types of arrangements and parameters for participation within hybrid work policies and agreements. In exercising this discretion, OPM, in its most recent guidance dated November 2021, directs agencies to consider individual employee needs and preferences as long as hybrid work does not diminish employee performance or agency operations. OPM has reported an increase in the percentage of Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) -eligible employees teleworking since December 2010, when the Telework Enhancement Act was enacted. In addition, increased telework flexibilities were granted in response to the pandemic beginning in March 2020, leading to more employees teleworking. There has been congressional and public interest in hybrid work policies within the Federal workforce to ensure that a hybrid work environment does not impede or impair management of the Federal workforce and that taxpayer money is properly spent. Our objective is to describe HHS's hybrid workforce environment since the expiration of the COVID-19 public health emergency (PHE). Furthermore, as part of this audit we will include an analysis of HHS policies and procedures for its hybrid workforce before, during, and after the PHE.

Announced or Revised	Agency	Title	Component	Report Number(s)	Expected Issue Date (FY)
January 2024	Health and Human Services	Audit of Department of Health and Human Services Hybrid Work Environment	Office of Audit Services	WA-24-0027 (W-00-24-59489)	2024