Congressional Research Employees Association

Dear Colleagues,                                                                                                    

I am writing to invite you to help create CREA’s recommendations for a CRS policy on part-time work.  The Library has an official part-time-work policy; CRS does not currently have its own official policy.  CRS Management is developing a draft policy, and CREA has been invited to provide input into the process.  We want to move quickly with a goal of submitting our suggestions to management by the end of July.

Please help us develop and write a statement of principles as well as a draft policy.  A statement of principles might reinforce such concepts as the importance of maintaining CRS’s capacity for continuity of service to Congress, providing workplace flexibility, and retaining experienced staff.  With respect to developing CREA’s recommendations for a draft policy, I have copies of the applicable law, the Library part-time-work regulations, as well as the part-time-work policies at several government agencies which may provide some guidance.

If you would like to contribute to this effort, please:

1) Immediately upon receiving this, email me (at ewilliams@crs.loc.gov) to let me know of your interest;

2) By COB Friday July 18, email me a list of the concerns you think should be addressed in CREA’s part-time-work proposal; and

3) Next week (July 21-25), plan to come to a meeting to discuss a draft proposal on part-time work that I will assemble incorporating the responses that I have received.

This process will evolve depending upon peoples’ interest and availability.   I have volunteered to take the lead on this project and am willing to draft the initial documents to serve as the basis for subsequent discussion and refinement.   At the end of the process, the working group recommendations will be presented to CREA’s Board of Governors.  The approved recommendations will then be relayed to CRS management.

I look forward to hearing from you.
Sincerely,
Erin D. Williams
Specialist in Public Health and Bioethics
7-4897  or ewilliams@crs.loc.gov