City of Austin rolls out new telework policy, helping city meet climate goals

AUSTIN (KXAN) – Starting in 2024, many City of Austin employees will have the option to work from home 50% of the time, according to a new telework policy. 

As COVID-19 cases waned and employees from various industries started to leave their working-from-home arrangements, Interim City Manager Jesus Garza announced it was also time for city employees to prepare to return to the office.

Garza said in May that all workers would return to the office by the end of 2023, which caused some employees to protest, citing a better work-life balance when getting to work partially from home. 

“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 wrote in a memo sent to city employees Friday. 

The policy allows some city employees to 50% of their time from home within a two-week period. City executives and operational staff – such as public works and utilities personnel – will be excluded from the benefits. Others who work in call centers, IT, and in some engineering positions may be eligible to work entirely from home, according to Garza’s 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. 

District 2 Council Member Vanessa Fuentes brought forward a resolution in early November recommending telework opportunities for city employees to not only offer more flexibility but also propel the city toward its climate goals. Fuentes told KXAN she was “very pleased” with Garza’s new telework policy. 

“This new telework policy acknowledges the role that the city of Austin has as one of the largest employers. We have set a goal to get 15% of Austinites working from home to meet our climate goals by reducing carbon emissions from transportation [modes],” she said. 

“The city of Austin has over 13,000 employees, and by having a hybrid model –  a flexible work arrangement –  where city workers are allowed to work from home a couple of days a week, it's gonna go a long way [and] it shows that the city of Austin is leading by example,” Fuentes continued.