President Joe Biden's administration has announced new measures to enhance a program that allows federal employees who are also military spouses to telework from overseas. This initiative is part of Jill Biden's Joining Forces campaign, which aims to provide support to military and veteran families.
A ceremony at the White House was held to mark the occasion, with Deputy Defense Secretary Kathleen Hicks and Deputy Secretary of State Richard Verma signing a permanent memorandum of agreement between their respective departments. The agreement focuses on streamlining the approval process for remote work arrangements under the Domestic Employees Teleworking Overseas program.
This agreement is in line with an executive order signed by President Biden last June at Fort Liberty in North Carolina, outlining various steps to assist military and veteran spouses, caregivers, and survivors. The recent actions are designed to help military spouses maintain their careers and keep their families together while their servicemember is stationed abroad.
According to information from the White House, military spouses currently face a 21% unemployment rate that has remained relatively unchanged over the past decade. It is noted that more than 16,000 military, veteran, and surviving spouses are employed across various federal departments and agencies.
