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If you turn down an employee's request to telework it should be for sound business reasons and those
reasons should be well documented. Even an employee who meets all qualifications and would make an
excellent teleworker may be denied if there are sound reasons for doing so. One reason organizations
like to use an application for telework is that it provides a place to record the decision and
the reason for the decision.
Employees who apply for telework need to understand that telework is neither an employee benefit nor
a right. Telework approval is granted when the employee is right for the job and telework won't be
detrimental to the organization. Here are some typical reasons why a telework requests are denied:
- The employee has not been with the organization long enough to know the
procedures or the people. You are concerned that if they telework they will have to frequently
call you or others back at the office because they don't have the experience to make the right
decisions on their own. In this case, give the employee an estimated time line for when they will
be eligible.
- You have determined through your experience with this employee, through their
self-assessment, and/or from your discussions with them, that they lack the personal traits
suited for telework. Share with them your concerns and reach an understanding about what they
need to improve. Tell them to apply again when they feel improvement has been made.
- If the employee is a mediocre performer, has had poor evaluations in the past,
or misses a lot of work, chances are the behavior would continue or get worse as a teleworker. It
is also possible that their poor performance is linked to a situation at home that would be resolved
if they could telework. You should be able to make this determination from the reason they give
for applying.
- The employee's work requires constant face-to-face interaction or the use or
maintenance of equipment, and that available technology will not enable them to do some of that
work remotely. If the employee deals with secure information or materials on a daily basis it
may be impossible for them to work remotely.
- The employee doesn't have a suitable environment at home for teleworking.
Inform the employee of what needs to change in order for you to approve their application.
- Due to current staffing, the employee is needed for on-site coverage. In this
case you should tell the employee when the option to telework might be available.
Make sure the reasons you give for denial are real and documented. Provide the employee with a copy of
your reason for denial. Keep a record yourself, as the employee may reapply in the future when they feel
the situation has changed. Your HR Department or telework coordinator may also require a copy. Many
organizations track applications, approvals, denials, and reasons for denial. Your organization, or the
employee's union, may also have a grievance procedure the employee can resort to if they feel the denial
was unjustified.
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