General Summary of the Bill

The bill titled "Stopping Home Office Work's Unproductive Problems Act of 2025," or the "SHOW UP Act of 2025," is legislative proposal aimed at assessing and regulating telework (also known as remote work) within federal government agencies following the COVID-19 pandemic. It requires executive agencies to conduct a study on the impact of expanded telework and submit plans for future telework practices. The bill mandates that agencies revert to pre-pandemic telework policies until such plans are submitted and certified by the Director of the Office of Personnel Management.

Summary of Significant Issues

1. Reinstatement Timeline: The bill requires agencies to reinstate pre-pandemic telework policies within 30 days. This timeline may not be feasible for agencies with large and complex workforces, potentially leading to operational disruptions.

2. Prohibition on Policy Expansion: The bill prohibits expanding telework policies until a plan and certification are provided. This may hinder agencies from adapting to current needs and advancements in telework technology and practices.

3. Certification Bottleneck: Requiring the Office of Personnel Management's Director to certify agency plans could create a bottleneck, delaying the implementation of improved telework policies. This situation might affect the efficiency and effectiveness of agency operations.

4. Lack of Evaluation Guidelines: The absence of specific guidelines for measuring telework impacts could lead to inconsistent evaluations across agencies, resulting in ineffective planning and policies.

5. Vagueness in Criteria: The bill has vague language regarding reversing adverse impacts on agency missions and customer service, lacking clear criteria or metrics for evaluation, potentially causing confusion and implementation challenges.

6. Security and Privacy Concerns: The bill does not address privacy or data security concerns, which are crucial components in modern telework environments. There is potential risk related to remote data access that needs to be addressed.

Impact on the Public

On a broad scale, the public might experience varied impacts from this bill based on how government services are affected by changes in telework policies. A seamless transition could ensure continued high levels of service, while disruptions could affect service efficiency.

The emphasis on returning to pre-pandemic practices might overlook potential benefits realized from expanded telework, such as increased flexibility and productivity for employees. On the other hand, any failures in telework arrangements might previously have affected customer service negatively, which reinstating past policies could potentially address.

Impact on Specific Stakeholders

• Federal Employees: For employees accustomed to teleworking during the pandemic, reinstating older policies might be seen as regressive, potentially affecting morale and work-life balance. They may experience anxiety about losing the flexibility that remote work offers.

• Government Agencies: Agencies are faced with operational challenges in quickly reverting to old telework policies and potentially in dealing with certification delays. This situation could potentially disrupt workflows and delay adaptation to modern practices.

• Managers and IT Personnel: There would be increased pressure on managerial and IT staff to handle transitions back to traditional work environments and to ensure telework capabilities meet undefined security and productivity standards.

• Office of Personnel Management: This agency could see an increased workload with the additional responsibility of certifying agency plans, possibly overwhelming its capacity and delaying processes.

In summary, while the bill aims to regulate and evaluate the effectiveness of telework in government, its requirements and limitations raise several concerns about feasibility, potential bottlenecks, and the ability to adequately adapt to modern work environments. These challenges need addressing to balance past practices with future opportunities.