If you are someone who enjoys and wants to gain experience in the field of human resources and management, then a position at OPM (The U.S. Office of Personnel Management) will be something you would find incredibly appealing.
OPM is the chief human resources (HR) agency for the Federal Government. At OPM, they provide both HR leadership and support, to Federal agencies. They also direct HR and employee management services, as well as deal with healthcare and retirement benefits, and secure and inclusive hiring into the civil service.
Not only would a position at OPM bring about a great deal of experience in the HR department, but it will give you a chance to work for, and serve, your country, which is also a pretty cool thing to do, and a reason that a remote job at OPM is so sought-after.
Highlights of OPM’s Remote Work Policy
Employees Can Choose Between Full-Time Remote Work or Hybrid Work
Online employees hired at OPM are classified as teleworkers or remote workers.
If you are a teleworker, you can work at home or away from the office to a certain degree, but you will still have to come into the office a certain amount of times per month. It is OPM’s version of hybrid work.
Remote workers, on the other hand, are workers that work completely remote and away from the office. They can even be in a completely different geographical location to where the offices are based and don’t need to come into the office regularly, or if at all.
Whether employees are able to work remotely or be a teleworker depends on what their job classification is, and also what they prefer.
Flexible Work Hours
During the pandemic, OPM noted that employees were able to balance work along with dependent care needs. This came in the form of taking breaks to do this during work hours and making up for it after work hours.
For this reason, they are happy to keep this in play and allow teleworking and remote working employees to work with flexible hours, as long as they get their work done by the end of the day, and they show that they aren’t slacking off at all.
OPM also implemented something called a “maxiflex work schedule”. This work schedule states that remote employees must work 80 hours in a two-week cycle. This can be in the form of 8 hours a day, every day, or a total of 40 hours a week.
OPM’s work hour policy helps employees to create a work-life balance, and be optimally productive.
Remote Workers And Teleworkers Receive Locality Pay
Depending on where you live, even as a remote worker, your pay is based on this. If you live in an area that is generally more expensive to live in, such as New York, your salary will be higher than someone who lives in Ohio, for example.
This is to try and help workers keep afloat if they live in more expensive areas, because the cost of living is generally a lot higher, so their costs will be more.
Employee Reviews Of Remote Work At OPM
Generally, employees review OPM as a great place to work. They say that the environment is friendly, the co-workers are lovely, and the work-life balance is really good.
A lot of employees are really happy with the fact that they can now work remotely, or even be a teleworker. They say it has made life easier, and it is really enjoyable to work in such a way.
There have been some slightly negative reviews, as some employees have noted that there is not much room for growth in the company, and the work can be a bit tedious at times. But, these are issues that are likely to come up at any job you have and were only commented on by a very small number of employees.
Overall, OPM has received brilliant reviews from its employees, and it seems like it is an extremely enjoyable place to work, that looks after its employees and tries to accommodate their needs.
OPM Remote Work In The News
OPM has recently made the news for its plans to make teleworking and remote working more of a permanent feature in the federal government.
There are a few people who are questioning this decision and want to know when the majority of federal workers will be returning to the offices. OPM has not made too much of a comment on this yet and seems to be sticking with their choice to make remote work permanent.
In Conclusion
Working remotely, or as a teleworker for OPM seems to be a much better experience for most employees than working in the OPM offices is, making them one of the top remote companies to work for.
Working remotely for OPM allows you to gain a wealth of experience in the federal government, but at the same time allows you flexibility and the chance to create a healthy work-life balance.
