Federal Agencies Must Track and Report Union Time Costs, Office Space, and Employee Dues Under New Bill

The Official Time Reporting Act is a new piece of legislation that sets up a massive annual reporting requirement for federal agencies regarding their employees’ use of “official time.” For those not steeped in government jargon, “official time” is simply the time a federal employee who is also a union representative spends on union business while they are officially on the clock and being paid by the government.

Starting on April 1st of the year following the bill’s enactment, federal agencies must send the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) detailed data on this activity. OPM then compiles this information, along with the total cost to taxpayers, and posts it publicly online every year by March 31st. Essentially, this bill is designed to pull back the curtain on how much time and money the federal government is dedicating to union activities.

The New Scorecard for Union Time

This isn't just a simple tally of hours. The bill requires a level of detail that will significantly increase the administrative load on every federal agency. For instance, agencies must report the total dollar amount of union dues withheld from employee paychecks via the government payroll system. They also have to calculate the total cost of official time, breaking it down into employee salaries/benefits and other expenses like travel. If you’re a federal manager, you’re now going to spend serious time tracking and quantifying these costs (Sec. 2).

Beyond the numbers, the report must detail the specific reasons official time was used and, perhaps most subjectively, “what effect those activities had on the agency’s operations.” This is where things get interesting. While transparency is the stated goal, requiring agencies to characterize the 'effect' of union activities could lead to subjective—and potentially negative—framing of collective bargaining efforts, especially if the agency head is not a fan of the union.

The Real Estate and Scrutiny Factor

The bill also zeroes in on physical space. Agencies must report on any office space or room designated for official time activities, including the square footage. If the agency lets a union use government property for free or at a discount, the report must state the fair market value of that use versus what the union actually paid (Sec. 2). This means that if a union has a small office in a federal building, that asset’s value will now be publicly reported, potentially pressuring unions to pay market rates or move out.

If an agency’s average official time rate goes up from one year to the next, the head of that agency must provide a written explanation detailing why the increase occurred. This creates an immediate requirement for agencies to justify any growth in union activity, placing the burden of proof on the agency leadership and indirectly increasing scrutiny on the union representatives themselves.

Who Feels the Change?

For the taxpayer, this bill offers a significant boost in transparency, providing specific, annual metrics on how government resources are allocated to union representation. However, for federal employees who volunteer as union representatives, this means their time and activities are now subject to intense, public, and comparative scrutiny. This could create a chilling effect on employees willing to take on these roles, which are crucial for resolving workplace disputes and negotiating contracts. The extensive data collection and reporting requirements also mean a substantial new administrative burden for federal agencies, pulling resources toward compliance and paperwork rather than their core missions.