Federal employees across the United States, many of whom have been working remotely since the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, returned to agency offices on Monday. This shift comes as a result of President Donald Trump's return-to-office mandate.
Billionaire Elon Musk, who is tasked with leading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, issued a stern warning to federal workers via his platform, X. "Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave," Musk announced.
Lee Zeldin, the new administrator of the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), also communicated via X, formerly known as Twitter, stating, "Full-time, COVID-era remote work is DONE under @POTUS leadership." In a video message, Zeldin highlighted that average attendance at EPA headquarters on Mondays and Fridays last year was less than 9%.
"Our spacious, beautiful EPA headquarters spans two city blocks in D.C. across five buildings," Zeldin remarked. "But our hallways have been too vacant, desks empty, and cubicles filled with unoccupied chairs."
Some federal agencies appear unprepared for the complete return of remote workers. An email obtained by The Associated Press revealed that the U.S. Department of Education Federal Student Aid noted several regional offices in Boston, Chicago, New York, and San Francisco were not ready for workers to return. The message also indicated that employees living more than 50 miles from regional offices in major cities would not be required to return to the office immediately.
The email advised, "We should treat it like the first day of school — plan a little time in your calendar to get oriented, find your way around, and figure out how to connect in the conference rooms, etc." It also mentioned that some employees would begin reporting to offices on Monday, while others would return in phases through April and beyond.
Mike Galletly, president of the American Federation of Government Employees Local 4016, expressed concerns about the challenges faced by information technology workers at the U.S. Department of Agriculture. "For my bargaining unit members, it’s been a whole lot of work scrambling to find hardware for people, monitors, docking stations," Galletly stated. "An office that normally seated four people now has to accommodate eight."
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services is directing its remote employees to return to office spaces, even for those originally hired for remote positions. Employees received a formal notice on Monday, indicating that those living more than 50 miles from a regional office must report by April 28.
As of November last year, the federal government employed over 3 million people, accounting for nearly 1.9% of the nation’s entire civilian workforce, according to the Pew Research Center.
— Murphy reported from Oklahoma City, Okla.
