Local and Non-Local comparison

Remote Work allows an employee to work at an approved alternative worksite, within or outside the local commuting area of the agency worksite, with no expectation to report to the agency worksite on a regular and recurring basis. The expectations/requirements surrounding local and non-local remote work differ. Below are the outlined major differences in these agreements:

Local & Non-Local Remote Comparison
Requirement Local Remote Non-Local Remote
Official Worksite Generally, the alternative worksite to which the employee is assigned (i.e. employee's home location of an employee's duty station as documented on item 39 on an employee's Standard Form (SF) 50).

Employees in these positions should have an official worksite/alternative worksite within the local commuting area of the agency worksite.

  • The local commuting area will be defined by the locality pay area of the Agency physical worksite that requires the employee's onsite presence.
  • When the Agency physical worksite falls in the "Rest of U.S." locality, the local commuting area is defined as 100 miles from the agency worksite.
Employees in these positions are NOT required to have an official worksite/alternative worksite within the local commuting area of the agency worksite.
Reporting Frequency to Agency Worksite No expectation to report to the agency worksite on a regular and recurring basis; however, there may be some frequency for onsite presence. This should not exceed 2 days/16hrs per pay period. No expectation to report to the agency worksite on a regular and recurring basis. Little to no onsite presence required (eg. once or twice annually). For more information, please refer to NIH Guiding Principles.
Worksite Travel Notice Supervisors must provide employees a minimum of 24 hours' notice when they are required to travel to the agency worksite. For employees with an official worksite/alternative worksite of 50 miles or more outside of the local commuting area, supervisors must provide a minimum of 48 hours' notice when employees are required to travel to the agency worksite.
Travel Reimbursement The NIH will not permit travel reimbursement to the physical workspace for local remote workers within 50 miles of the worksite. Local remote workers are entitled to reimbursement for travel to the agency’s physical worksite if the agency has requested the employee to travel to the worksite and the employee is required to travel more than 50 miles each way. Please visit NIH Travel Regulations for further questions or email the NIH Travel office at ofmtravel@od.nih.gov. Travel reimbursement may be required. Please visit NIH Travel Regulations for further questions or email the NIH Travel office at ofmtravel@od.nih.gov.
Compensatory Time Off The NIH will not permit compensatory time off for travel for local remote workers within 50 miles of the agency worksite. Remote employees (local and non-local) who are required to travel more than 50 miles away from their official worksite/alternative worksite may be afforded compensatory time off for official travel, if the approved itinerary requires the employee to be in a travel status, when such time is not otherwise compensable.
Office Space No dedicated/permanent space will be provided to local or non-local remote employees, but IC must provide touchdown/hoteling space (office or workstation) when employees are required to report onsite.
Termination of Agreement If a Workplace Flexibilities Agreement (WFA) is terminated, the employee will receive at a minimum, one full bi-weekly pay-period to plan to report to the agency worksite on a daily basis. If a WFA is terminated, the employee will receive at a minimum, two full bi-weekly pay periods to plan to report to the agency worksite on a daily basis.