THE FOREIGN SERVICE JOURNAL | OCTOBER 2024 15 Nascituri . . . . 100 Years Ago Mindful of these legacies, the Editors of the Journal, representing both branches of the Foreign Service, desire to make it plain that the future of this magazine lies entirely with its readers, who are at the same time its owners, managers and contributors. The Board of Editors will reflect opinions impartially, receive criticisms graciously, and gladly attend to the technical details of makeup and form, if they can rely upon their colleagues in the field to supply material for publication. If, in this political year, the Journal should be called upon to enunciate the bases of its platform, it might be stated that its purposes are to add to the understanding of the tasks and surroundings of the Foreign Service, to maintain and enlarge the acquaintance with one another of widely scattered colleagues, and to preserve and increase the zeal of the officers in the Foreign Service for the protection and promotion of American interests. For the fulfillment of these ends the Editors must call upon the loyal cooperation of their colleagues, and it is to be hoped that the diplomatic branch of the Service will be as generous with its contributions as the consuls have always proven themselves to be, and that the Journal may receive from the officers of both Services occasional sidelights on foreign affairs, either political or economic, which may be of import in the formation of well-considered opinion. However, the main purpose of the Journal will be inspirational and not educational, and personality will be at a premium in its columns. Photographs, the light touch in the narration of experiences, and personal items will be constantly desired. —Opening note in the first issue of the newly renamed American Foreign Service Journal, October 1924. OMB Releases Telework Report The Office of Management and Budget (OMB) has released a comprehensive telework report to Congress, detailing the varied approaches of 24 major federal agencies in returning employees to office settings. The nearly 3,000-page report, submitted on Aug. 9, reflects a broad spectrum of strategies in response to an April 2023 OMB memo urging agencies to increase in-person staff presence, particularly at headquarters locations. The report reveals that while some agencies have already reinstated significant in-person work requirements, others are negotiating new terms with federal unions or tailoring telework policies based on specific job functions and managerial discretion. The State Department’s telework policy, codified in 3 FAM 2360, ensures that all employees, whether teleworking or reporting onsite full time, are held to the same performance measures. Supervisors have the discretion to cancel, suspend, or modify an employee’s
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