JACKSONVILLE, Fla. \u2014 The work-from-home frenzy seen during the pandemic is long over, but dozens of Jacksonville city employees are still managing to stay out of the office, according to a new Inspector General report.<\/p>\n
The Inspector General investigated whether the city\u2019s restrictive work-from-home policy was being followed and determined compliance had not been consistent.<\/p>\n
The report recommended the mayor\u2019s office develop a new uniform work-from-home policy, which the report acknowledged is already being done.<\/p>\n
Councilmember Ron Salem (R-Group 2 At-Large) has raised questions about the city\u2019s work-from-home policy in recent weeks.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat stands out to me is a policy written by the Deegan Administration in July of \u201924 is not being followed consistently by any of the departments,\u201d said Salem.<\/p>\n
The policy requires multi-level approval for work-from-home requests, states that work from home should be short-term, and prohibits each request from extending beyond two weeks in most cases.<\/p>\n
But the report found dozens of employees were authorized to work from home without proper approval or because a department was following an old policy.<\/p>\n
The Finance Department appeared to have the most issues.<\/p>\n
The department reported five employees working from home, but could only produce one signed agreement.<\/p>\n
Additionally, the report noted \u201cnumerous\u201d other work-from-home requests submitted for Finance employees this year that weren\u2019t reported by the department.<\/p>\n
Most noteworthy, the city\u2019s Chief Financial Officer Anna Brosche has been working from home since last November and has teleworked from locations including Virginia and South Carolina, according to the report.<\/p>\n
The report stated Brosche claimed the mayor approved her work from home due to \u201cfamily-related issues.\u201d<\/p>\n
The mayor\u2019s Chief of Staff also reportedly told investigators Brosche is \u201cexempt from the work-from-home policy\u201d.<\/p>\n
According to the mayor\u2019s office, Brosche was granted leave under the Family Medical Leave Act from November through December in connection with an immediate family member\u2019s terminal illness, but has worked a full-time remote schedule since the start of this year.<\/p>\n
Salem, who serves on the Finance Committee, questions why a high-ranking city official was given such blanket permission.<\/p>\n
He also noted Brosche was absent from all of the council budget hearings this year and hasn\u2019t interacted with him throughout the process.<\/p>\n
\u201cI understand the pressures that you\u2019re under to take care of relatives when you have another job, but you just have to make it work and to me, you have to be there,\u201d said Salem.<\/p>\n
The Mayor\u2019s Office reiterated in a statement that it\u2019s working to craft a new citywide work-from-home policy. <\/p>\n
Additionally, the administration pushed back on criticisms of the CFO for working from home.<\/p>\n
\u201cCFO Brosche has led the budgeting process, spending as much time on it as she would have in person,\u201d said a spokesperson for the mayor\u2019s office.<\/p>\n
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