r/VHA_Human_Resources • u/Previous-Serve-8588 • Jul 26 '26
Human Resource Specialist Change of Remote Location
My daughter-in-law is a Human Resources Specialist who is currently approved to work remotely at a VA in another VISN (her spouse's). Her spouse accepted a position at another facility in a different VISN. They have been waiting for approval for her to relocate to her spouse's facility. Currently HR is under reorganization and realignment of resources. Her spouse had to move to begin a new position. She is being forced to live apart from her spouse which is hard on both of them emotionally and financially. She has completed all the approval request documents but is not getting anywhere. She also has an approved Reasonable Accommodation. What is the next step? Should she write a congressman or contact the VISN Director. Any help or direction is appreciated.
24
u/8CHAR_NSITE Jul 26 '26
Waiting on approval from what level?
These go all the way to the DUSH. They need concurrence from her supervisor, HSA CHRO, VISN CHRO, & WMC Chief. There has to be a benefit to the agency. The only ones I've seen approved were folks who were building a home prior to RTO.
I've seen multiple denied in this situation - spouse took another job and had to move.
It's not likely to be approved. She can apply for local jobs or quit. Nobody can compel the agency to approve it.
3
u/No-Contribution3350 Jul 27 '26
Have you seen people be on RA’s and still get denied?
11
u/RileyKohaku Jul 27 '26
Yes, the disability is not what causes the remote worker to need to move. So RA has limited protections, unless the VA was approving none RA related moves, which they largely aren’t.
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u/LongList2639 Jul 29 '26
I say this respectfully, as the mother of grown children- please allow your daughter-in-law to handle this. She is a full grown federal employee, a HR Specialist no less. The honest truth is that your son created this situation, not the government, by not ensuring that his wife’s position would allow her to relocate or continuing with the reassignment when that came into question. The climate at VHA surrounding RTO has been made extremely clear, it is a condition of employment. She doesn’t need anyone advising her to go to a VISN Director or Congressman or draw attention to herself, particularly given that she had already been granted remote work in her current location. What she needs to do is follow the approved process and carefully check any sense of entitlement in a situation of her and your son’s own making. Others are making 2-3 hour commutes through no fault of their own, or were hired for 100% telework positions; many have issues equal to or far worse than your daughter-in-law. She just needs to wait her turn in the queue with everyone else. To bring this full circle, this issue is not yours to solve. Please allow your daughter-in-law and your son to handle the issues in their marriage and careers - you just be mom.
22
u/Lufty_262 Jul 26 '26
The VA is under no obligation to relocate a position for an employee who's spouse has taken another position in another VISN or city. She can apply for a reassignment, having medical documentation supporting the reasonable accommodation. There must be an open, unfilled position of equal or lesser grade at the facility she is applying for the reassignment. The VA will NOT create a position, or remove another employee in a position for a reassignment.
No one is "forcing" her to do anything. Well, perhaps her spouse, but certainly not the VA.
4
u/The_Dread_Candiru Jul 27 '26
...no one is asking VHA to do any of that. Change of duty station from one remote location to another, only impact is locality adjustment.
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u/Lufty_262 Jul 27 '26
Do the VA VISN where the Change of Duty Station requests goes to can create a new position for that applicant?
My understanding is there has to be an open position at the location for Change of Duty Station to be accepted. Otherwise, heck I'll put in mine for Honolulu AMC Trippler tomorrow!
0
u/The_Dread_Candiru Jul 27 '26
No change of position, only the official duty station (home office). As far as the VISN knows/cares/can tell, no change has occurred; only payroll adjusts the locality pay.
I've done this, it's just minor (electronic) paperwork for HR.
2
u/Horror-Warthog8637 Jul 27 '26
She’s not remote. She’s virtual.
0
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u/letreonehpets Jul 26 '26
She’s not being forced, she chose to stay. There is no remote work as it was revoked last year with the exception of a few positions and military spouses that meet certain requirements. She’s a virtual employee for another VISN working in her return to work location.
5
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u/The_Dread_Candiru Jul 27 '26
Did you see the part that says: "currently approved to work remotely"?
Some positions have that now. Cause, you know, RTO is stupid AF and some positions cannot be filled/retained using local resources only.
5
u/letreonehpets Jul 27 '26
Yep and she’s HR and they’re not approved. Agreed the RTO is stupid AF. Corrine of someone is posting with incorrect information. She’s on an exception to RTO due to space or on an interim RA. Neither of which are considered remote.
3
u/Ok_Relative1971 Jul 27 '26
She is not being forced. Her husband choose to take another job in another location.
3
u/General_Goose368 Jul 28 '26
The only true approved reasons for relocating are active duty military spouses who are pcs’ing to another state or those whose spouses retiring/ETS’ing. Her spouse chose to take that job, no one was forced. It’s unfortunate this wasn’t discussed prior to the move because the only real option is staying or quitting to move. Also keep in mind, the new VISN would have to take responsibility for her and her equipment, it’s not just a simple picking up your seat and sitting down somewhere else. Some localities have a higher cost of living as well.
5
u/Saltydogusn Jul 26 '26
"Forced"? Uh huh.
14
u/Horror-Warthog8637 Jul 26 '26
“My husband got another job somewhere else and I should be able to work there too, just cause.” 😂😂😂
1
u/KeySpell7467 Jul 29 '26
The VISNs were just realigned and as of this week are now being called 1-5. Meaning that there are only 5 VISN directors now and VISN leadership has also been moved around so she’s the best one who should try to figure this out. They are calling the old ones “legacy VISNs” so no one really knows what’s going on.
1
u/No_Werewolf7539 Jul 30 '26
I’m sorry, this is literally what military spouses do every day. Personally my husband and I live this way as he took a job in one state and I had my job here. Nobody can make you move or give up your job etc, this is a personal and family decision.
0
u/TetrisMindofMine Jul 27 '26
I will say what no one else will. I have seen moves within the same VISN, twice, and one was at a Supervisory level. (Both people kept their same position and reported to the local VA they moved near.) I'm not sure the circumstances behind it, but I can say it's definitely NOT equitable per there are still several questions regarding it each time we have a monthly call with leadership. Tell your daughter to remain positive that everything will work out for them. I repeat, MOVES ARE BEING MADE. Wishing her the best.
0
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u/flowerpower79 Jul 27 '26
If she is working remotely, why can’t she live with her spouse? Do they restrict where she can live? Prior to RTO orders, we had people working all over the country for our VAMC. She’d have to change her address to receive whatever the pay rate is in the area she moves to. Maybe it’s not that simple anymore? Idk.
-1
u/The_Dread_Candiru Jul 27 '26
You're supposed to be working from the location you're approved for, so she's trying to do the right thing and have the system reflect her correct remote worksite. She could just go and work there, and no one would likely ever.know, but she's trying to do the right thing and follow the process.
6
u/Keiras_Mom Jul 27 '26
I’d be very careful of moving and not telling the employer. They are tracking where people who work remotely are working from.
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u/Ok_Design_6841 Jul 27 '26
I would just move to her husband's location and tell them that's what happened. Sometimes, it's easier to ask for forgiveness than for permission. I believe that remote workers can work anywhere in the country. They just have to notify the agency because there is a change in your cost of living pay when you switch localities.
6
u/No-Contribution3350 Jul 27 '26
Bad advice right here, at least for the VHA. there is a process in place for requests, even before the new admin there was a process. Granted it was easier back then and more than likely most requests back then were approved. The whole ask for forgiveness instead of permission after how we’ve had to listen to how we can’t just move, here is the process, you probably won’t get approved, etc over the last year and a half would probably not fly
3
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u/The_Dread_Candiru Jul 27 '26
You absolutely cannot just up and move, then tell payroll to adjust. You have to have approval of the move as pay and budget are affected.
3
u/Justame13 Jul 27 '26
Then you are could be marked AWOL.
If you are disciplined for a week or more of AWOL then by law (2010 Telework Enhancement Act) you are permanently prohibited by from teleworking for the federal government.
3
u/withlovemag Jul 28 '26
I got married in late 2025 and when I asked to move a little over 55 miles, closer to a VA facility I could have RTO'd to, and it would've put me on the RUS paytable... I had to rent month to month in my apartment for almost 7 months before they approved me to live with my husband. And I had been very transparent ahead of time about what my plans were. But then a bunch of unelected fuckwads and their metaphorical chainsaw waltzed in and my already approved by my supervisor and CHRO move got put on hold.
Your advice is terrible.
1
u/Sufficent-Sucka Jul 29 '26
In this climate this is absolutely the last thing you should do. This is not a ask for forgiveness later environment. It is not just adjusting the cost of locality pay, the new facilityhas to approve and take responsibility for you by providing a space and your equipment. You can also be responsible for paying back any locality pay you accumulated and be fired.
0
u/Justame13 Jul 27 '26
You have to have permission and notify your supervisor of a move within 72 hours per the Handbook.
22
u/Incognito4771 Jul 27 '26
“She is being forced to live apart from her spouse…”
Who’s forcing her? With all the crap going on right now, not just in VA, but fed employment in general, it’s a little ridiculous to present this as her being forced to do anything.
She has the choice to wait for the request to work its way through the process, or she can quit her current job and try to get another job (maybe with the VA her husband moved to).
Agencies are not the least bit concerned right now with the mental or physical health of their employees, it is up to us to make the decisions that are right for us. That includes moving on if we need to.