Federal workers in two government departments, the Department of Defense (DoD) and the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA), have been informed that they must return to the office, due to abrupt changes introduced by the Trump administration.
On his first day in office, the president signed a mandate requiring workers to return to the office. He cited his desire to improve the government’s efficiency and performance as the reasons for this policy.
In a Jan. 31 memorandum obtained by Federal News Network and issued by newly appointed defense secretary Pete Hegseth, DoD employees were told they had a week to
return to the office.“DoD components will terminate telework and remote work agreements for all DoD employees who work remotely or via telework within 50 miles of their agency worksite,” he wrote in the memo. “Employees must report full-time in person to their agency worksite no later than seven days from the date of this memorandum.”
Non-unionized employees of the VA must return to the offices by Feb. 24.
“Political appointees, senior executive service members, SES equivalents, senior level and scientific and professional employees will no longer be eligible for remote work arrangements. By Feb. 24, 2025, their telework agreements will be terminated, except for ad hoc or situational telework,” an office memo posted on the VA News website states.
The policy does allow exceptions for employees with disabilities or extenuating circumstances. It will also accommodate employees with spouses serving in the military who are stationed in cities without an office.
Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, accuses President Trump of
infringing on federal employee rights.“President Trump’s order is a blatant attempt to corrupt the federal government by eliminating employees’ due process rights so they can be fired for political reasons. It will remove hundreds of thousands of federal jobs from the nonpartisan, professional civil service and make them answerable to the will of one man,” Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, said in a statement.
According to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, federal employees who do not wish to return to the office have been advised to resign by February 6. According to the agency, resigning employees will
retain their pay and benefits until September 2025.The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE) reports that more than half ( 54%) of 2.3 million federal workers work in offices, and only 10% work remotely.
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