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Audit finds gaps in telework policy and inconsistent departmental procedures; employees report telework preference
Summary
A performance audit found the City of Atlanta lacks standardized telework guidelines, departments inconsistently implement telework, and most surveyed employees say at least some work can be done remotely; auditors recommended HR adopt clearer eligibility and documentation practices.
A city performance audit presented May 14 found the City of Atlanta’s telework policy lacks several elements considered best practice, that departments inconsistently implement telework, and that many employees say remote work is feasible for at least some of their duties.
Myra Hagley, performance audit supervisor, described two primary audit questions: whether the city has standardized telework guidelines and how telework has been implemented. Hagley said the city’s telework policy defines telework authorization and requires a telework agreement; it also distinguishes remote work (fully off‑premises) from hybrid work (designated in‑office and remote days).
The auditors examined 26 departments and reported 19 allowed some remote or hybrid schedules while seven required all staff to report in person. Hagley said department responses indicated employees providing direct field or customer‑facing services were generally excluded from telework eligibility. Audit staff also reviewed Oracle and found only 21 of a random sample of 50 teleworker personnel files contained a signed telework agreement.
The committee heard results from an employee survey (conducted Oct. 14–28, 2024) with 1,421 respondents across city departments. Hagley said about 92% of respondents agreed that some or all of their work could be performed remotely, and roughly 40% said they would seek other employment if not permitted to telework at least some of the time. The audit team noted many respondents listed transportation and commute issues as barriers to in‑office work and reported that approximately 59% of telework respondents listed ZIP codes outside the city limits.
The audit identified gaps in the telework policy versus best practices — notably, the policy lacks objective criteria to determine position eligibility, department‑level performance expectations in telework agreements, team schedule documentation, shared‑space protocols and structured team connection provisions. Hagley said 16 of 19 teleworking departments lacked documented implementation procedures; AIM, the city auditor, inspector general and parks and rec were among the few with internal procedures.
Council members pressed the audit team on methodology and next steps. Commissioner Wong questioned whether the underlying data reflected actual in‑office attendance versus department self‑reporting; Hagley said departments filled position reports indicating how many days staff would be in office, but she acknowledged that some department responses were imperfect and that Oracle lacks a designated telework field. Several members suggested future analysis comparing telework levels to department service‑level agreements (SLAs) and examining telework by pay grade.
Hagley said the auditors recommended four actions to HR to standardize telework administration; HR agreed to implement the recommendations. Council members asked HR and auditors to revisit the inventory and provide an updated breakdown after recent administrative changes and to provide additional detail during upcoming budget hearings.
