H.R. 236 — Federal Employee Return to Work Act

This section defines key terms for this Act. (1) "Covered employee" means an employee who teleworks at least one day a week (or, for an alternative work schedule, at least 20% a week) but excludes any such employee who is disabled and receives reasonable accommodations, a member of the Foreign Service, a federal law enforcement officer, a member of the Armed Forces on active duty, or any other employee whose official worksite is not described in 5 CFR 531.605(a)(1) (or similar regulation). (2) "Employee" has the meaning given in 5 U.S.C. §2105 (i.e., generally, officers and individuals appointed in the civil service who perform federal functions under supervision). (3) "Telework" has the meaning given in 5 U.S.C. §6501.

This section requires covered employees to be paid at the Rest of U.S. locality pay area rate for their applicable grade and step as of the date they become covered employees, with such pay not subject to adjustment under the federal locality pay statute (5 U.S.C. §5304). (Thus, covered employees receive no locality pay premium beyond the Rest of U.S. rate regardless of duty station, and their pay is exempt from annual comparability adjustments to address pay disparities with non-federal wages.)