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Evaluation of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s Telework Program

Report Information

Date Issued
Report Number
OIG-NRC-25-E-01
Report Type
Inspection / Evaluation
Description
The Office of the Inspector General identified several issues with the use and oversight of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission’s telework program, including missing telework agreements and inaccurate telework records, both of which are required by law for proper program administration.  Additionally, we found inadequate compliance with documentation standards, which could result in inconsistent adherence to policies and inaccuracies in employee records. Finally, we identified discrepancies in some official duty stations and failure to comply with telework agreement terms, potentially resulting in incorrect locality pay.This report makes seven recommendations to strengthen the telework program’s document management and oversight processes to ensure full compliance with federal laws and regulations.
Joint Report
No
Agency Wide
Yes (agency-wide)
Questioned Costs
$0
Funds for Better Use
$0
View report on Oversight.gov

Recommendations

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations establish a process to verify that all telework agreements are submitted and reviewed to maintain oversight and data integrity.

Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025: The Office of the Chief Human Capital Officer (OCHCO) concurs with the recommendation. Effective May 2025, a formal process is in place to ensure all telework agreements are submitted and reviewed to maintain oversight and data <br />
integrity. All employees who wish to participate in the telework program must submit a telework agreement through the Telework Agreement Data Application (TADA). Supervisors are required to electronically approve all agreements before an employee may begin teleworking. TADA automates the telework business process, which is initiated by the employee (submitter), routed through the designated supervisor (approver), and forwarded to OCHCO, if applicable. The system includes built-in validations that prevent submission of incomplete forms by generating flags and prompting users to enter all required data before submission. TADA was made available to all NRC employees on April 24, 2025.<br />
OIG Analysis: The OIG confirmed that TADA adequately supports the submission and approval of telework agreements. This recommendation is now closed.

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations conduct periodic reconciliations between the telework agreements and the NRC’s payroll system to ensure the accuracy and completeness of employees’ telework statuses.

Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025: OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. Effective<br />
July 2025, Human Resources (HR) Specialists will institute quarterly reviews of telework status codes in the Federal Personnel Payroll System (FPPS) against telework data in TADA. Specifically, HR Specialists will be tasked with reconciling telework codes in FPPS against data generated from the TADA system. HR Specialists will also verify all necessary updates are made to resolve discrepancies in employee telework data.<br />
OIG Analysis: The OIG will close the recommendation once the quarterly review of the telework status codes in the FPPS against telework data in TADA is completed. This recommendation<br />
remains open and resolved.

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations implement and document validation procedures to ensure submitted telework agreements are complete and records are maintained in compliance with NRC procedures.

Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025: OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. Effective<br />
April 24, 2025, employees are required to submit telework agreements using TADA. Agreements are approved by the supervisor and stored electronically within the application,<br />
in accordance with NRC recordkeeping procedures. Supervisors are also able to review telework agreements and run reports for employees on their staff. As discussed in Recommendation 1.1, TADA includes built-in validations that prevent submission of incomplete forms by generating flags and prompting users to enter all required data before submission.<br />
OIG Analysis: The OIG confirmed that TADA has validation controls that prevent the submission of incomplete forms and require users to enter all required data. This recommendation is<br />
now closed.

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations require all official duty station changes resulting from telework to be supported by an approved agreement and ensure all relevant documentation is retained within the telework records.

Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025: OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. TADA is the centralized repository for all NRC telework agreements. As such, all relevant documentation is retained within the system and is used to support any changes to an employee’s<br />
official duty station. To ensure data integrity and compliance, an employee’s<br />
official duty station and any updates to the duty station must be approved and recorded in TADA. Prior to the supervisor’s approval of the telework agreement, employees are<br />
prompted within TADA to select their official duty station. This duty station is critical as it determines both the employee’s telework location and the pay rate, which is based on the designated duty station. Additionally, any request for full-time telework (remote work) will include documentation in TADA that references the employee’s duty station, ensuring proper tracking and approval for remote work arrangements.<br />
OIG Analysis: The OIG confirmed that TADA requires the employee to enter the official duty station, and any updates to this information can be approved and recorded in TADA. This<br />
recommendation is now closed.

The OIG recommends that the Executive Director for Operations implement a process to track the completion of corrective actions for discrepancies and ensure any unresolved issues are properly addressed.

Agency Response Dated June 10, 2025: OCHCO concurs with the recommendation. The<br />
implementation and use of TADA eliminated the corrective actions previously identified during the audit. The application includes built-in validations that prevent employees from proceeding with telework agreement submissions if there are errors. This ensures all discrepancies are fully resolved at the point of entry. If any application errors or issues remain, they are escalated<br />
appropriately to ensure timely resolution. The process includes assigning responsible parties to correct the issue, setting clear timelines for resolution, and generating a monthly report to track the status of all corrective actions. This structured approach ensures that all discrepancies are<br />
addressed and resolved efficiently.<br />
OIG Analysis: The OIG agrees that timely information updates and improved documentation in TADA will help to identify and resolve issues promptly. This recommendation is now closed.