Johnston County Telework Records Raise Questions About Who Is Really Working From Home

Johnston County Had No Central Count Of Teleworkers Until JoCoReport Asked

SMITHFIELD, N.C. – Johnston County Commission Chairman Patrick Harris says the County Manager should have a clear understanding of who is authorized to telework and under what circumstances — an accounting Johnston County government did not have readily available until JoCoReport began asking questions.

The county spent approximately three months compiling records showing 188 full-time employees are authorized for scheduled telework, representing about 13.2 percent of Johnston County’s 1,423 full-time workforce.

JoCoReport began examining the county’s work-from-home program after receiving tips from Johnston County employees who raised concerns about access to supervisors while some department directors were working remotely.

County employees identified three department heads they said sometimes telework.

None of the three appeared on the county’s list of employees approved for telework.

The employees did not say the department heads work remotely every day, and JoCoReport has not independently confirmed how often the three work away from their county offices.

Their absence from the county’s telework list, however, raises questions about whether the newly compiled count includes everyone who works remotely — even occasionally — and how those arrangements are being tracked.

JoCoReport submitted its public records request May 19 seeking the names and titles of employees authorized to work remotely, departments allowing telework, copies of policies and agreements, approval dates and whether arrangements were full-time or hybrid.

The information was provided approximately three months later.

County Manager Should Know, Chairman Says

Harris said telework has largely been managed at the department level.

“Department heads are responsible for managing their employees’ schedules and determining who is authorized to telework and when,” Harris said.

But he also said responsibility does not end there.

“At the same time, I believe the County Manager should have a clear understanding of who is authorized to telework and under what circumstances.”

Before JoCoReport’s inquiry, the county did not have the 188-employee figure readily compiled in a centralized accounting.

That is notable because Johnston County’s written policy calls for formal review and approval of telework arrangements.

The policy says the position must be suitable for remote work, public and internal service cannot be disrupted, and supervisors must be able to adequately evaluate an employee’s performance.

The policy also calls for telework agreements to move through department and Human Resources review, with approval involving county management.

Three Department Heads Not On List

The reports involving department heads raise a separate concern.

Department directors supervise employees, oversee daily operations and have a role in determining which employees under them may telework.

County employees who contacted JoCoReport questioned how accessible department heads are to staff and the public when those managers are working remotely.

Again, employees said the three directors sometimes telework — not that working remotely is their normal or daily schedule.

Still, none of the three names appeared among the employees Johnston County identified as approved for telework.

That leaves unanswered whether those department heads are working remotely under another type of arrangement, whether their names were inadvertently omitted, or whether the county’s list is incomplete.

Harris said he believes department heads can effectively lead while working remotely.

“I have every confidence that department heads can effectively manage their operations and supervise employees when working remotely under a telework arrangement,” Harris said.

“Today’s technology makes remote communication easy, whether by video conferencing, chat, text or phone.”

He said employees working remotely should be held to the same expectations as those physically reporting to county offices.

“Employees working remotely are expected to meet the same standards as employees working in the office — to work their scheduled hours, be responsive and complete their assigned work,” Harris said.

“If an employee does not meet those expectations, telework authorization is revoked and the employee must return to working in the office.”

The county has not provided JoCoReport with figures showing how many employees have had telework privileges revoked or how frequently existing telework arrangements are reviewed.

Who Teleworks?

Telework is concentrated in a relatively small number of county departments.

Departments reporting employees authorized for telework include:

• Child Support Enforcement
• County Attorney – DSS Legal
• Emergency Services
• Finance
• GIS
• Health Department
• Human Resources
• Internal Audit
• Social Services
• Tax Administration
• Technology

County records identify employees approved for telework throughout those departments.

Social Services and Health account for most of the county’s reported teleworkers.

114 of the 188 employees are in Social Services and another 39 are in the Health Department.

Combined, those two departments account for 153 of the county’s 188 authorized teleworkers — more than 81 percent.

Most Departments Do Not Allow Telework

Most Johnston County departments reported no employees authorized for telework.

Those include:

• Administration
• Airport
• Animal Services
• Board of Commissioners
• Board of Elections
• Building Inspections
• Building and Grounds
• Cooperative Extension
• Economic Development
• Emergency 911 Communications
• Environmental Health
• HAPP
• Heritage Center
• Parks and Open Space
• Planning and Zoning
• Public Information Office
• Public Library
• Public Utilities
• Register of Deeds
• Sheriff’s Office
• Soil and Water Conservation
• Solid Waste
• Veterans Service Office
• Visitors Bureau/Tourism

County Says Telework Saves Space, Helps Hiring

Harris said the program should also be viewed in the context of county staffing and office-space limitations.

He said Social Services and Health — which account for the overwhelming majority of teleworkers — are among the departments facing the greatest space constraints.

“Telework has helped us make better use of the space we have and has delayed the need for costly new buildings,” Harris said.

He said the option also helps Johnston County compete for workers.

“It has also become an important recruitment and retention tool, particularly when we are competing with larger counties that can offer employees greater flexibility and, in some cases, higher pay,” Harris said.

Harris also emphasized that authorization does not mean employees spend every workday at home.

“The vast majority of Johnston County employees work in the office every day,” he said. “And being authorized to telework does not mean an employee works from home every day; in many cases, it is a hybrid approach.”

County Policy Recognizes Accountability Risks

Johnston County’s telework policy was adopted Sept. 8, 2020, during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The policy makes clear that telework is not an employee entitlement and says the needs of county government and service to the public take priority.

It prohibits personal business during scheduled work hours, says telework cannot substitute for dependent care and requires employees to accurately document and report time worked.

Some departments have adopted even tighter controls.

Child Support Enforcement requires teleworking employees to respond to electronic messages within 10 minutes, maintain work logs and complete assigned worklists. Department rules say those worklists are among the methods supervisors use to verify that work is being performed at home.

Repeated failures can result in telework being suspended or revoked.

The records provided to JoCoReport do not show that every department allowing remote work has comparable written monitoring requirements.

Harris Supports Review

Harris said a policy adopted nearly six years ago deserves another look.

“I think it is entirely reasonable for the Board and administration to review the policy and how it is being used today,” Harris said.

“Reviewing a policy does not mean the policy is failing. It means we should periodically make sure our policies reflect current conditions, provide appropriate accountability and continue to serve the taxpayers and the County’s workforce effectively.”

Harris did not propose specific changes.

Johnston County now says 188 full-time employees are authorized for scheduled telework — a number the county did not have readily compiled until JoCoReport requested it.

At the same time, three department heads whom county employees say sometimes work remotely do not appear on the county’s approved telework list. The county’s records do not explain whether those managers are working under separate arrangements, were omitted from the list, or are teleworking without being formally recorded.

Harris said the County Manager should have a clear understanding of who is authorized to telework and under what circumstances. The records reviewed by JoCoReport show that understanding was not reflected in a complete, centralized accounting before the public records request — and questions remain about whether the county’s newly compiled list is accurate and complete.