united-states labor-law
Is an employer legally required to allow an employee to work remotely if a precedent has been set?
<p>I work in Washington D.C. for the government and travel 3 hours to and from work daily. Once I give birth, I don't want to go in everyday, maybe 1 or 2 times a week and work remotely the other days. Another lady with the same position I have is being allowed to work remotely after she gave birth. We both work for the same employer but have different bosses but I have been there much longer than she has. I currently work remotely when the weather prohibits travel. Are there any labor laws that reference this issue?</p>

<p>If you are working in the executive branch, the <a href="https://www.opm.gov/faqs/topic/telework/index.aspx" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Office of Personnel Management</a> says that there is no right to telecommute: "Telework is not a universal employee benefit or an employee right.  Federal law requires agencies to establish telework programs but does not give individual employees a legal right to telework". A manager can deny a request, but</p>

<blockquote>
  <p>Denials should be based on the requirements of the <a href="https://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-111hr1722enr/pdf/BILLS-111hr1722enr.pdf" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Telework
  Enhancement Act</a>, individual agency telework policies, applicable
  collective bargaining agreements, and the business and operational
  needs of the organization...Decisions to deny a request to telework should be based on sound business management principles and not for personal reasons.</p>
</blockquote>

<p><a href="https://www.telework.gov/guidance-legislation/telework-legislation/telework-enhancement-act/" rel="nofollow noreferrer">This webpage</a> lists all of the requirements under that law. Basically, the boss can't arbitrarily deny your request, but it can be denied if it doesn't meet the requirements: you can ask your Telework Managing Officer. </p>

<p>Those rules apply to the executive branch, so if you work for another branch, the rules could be different. Emlpoyees of the House of Representatives should look <a href="https://cha.house.gov/handbooks/telecommuting-resources/telecommuting-policy" rel="nofollow noreferrer">here</a> (basically summed up in the statement "Telecommuting is entirely at the discretion of the employing office"), and they speak in permissive terms that favor employer discretion (the office may consider...). So it matters exactly who you're working for, and what you do.</p>

<p>There are no general labor laws that say "if you give one employee a benefit, you have to give it to all". It would be illegal to make the decision on the basis of race, religion etc. but otherwise employment is at-will.</p>
