A Federal Ghetto: Employees Describe Work Conditions After Return To Office Mandate

Out of the more than 5,500 federal employees who took the survey, nearly 80% said “none of the above” when asked what has improved since returning to work on-site.

There’s hardly any parking or toilet paper in the restrooms. A new study from Federal News Network paints a grim picture of work conditions for federal employees following President Donald Trump’s return-to-office order. The survey, conducted between March 17 and 21, asked federal employees about work conditions since returning to the office. Out of the more than 5,500 federal employees who took the survey, nearly 80% said “none of the above” when asked what has improved since returning to work on-site.

“I spend time and money commuting longer to do exactly what I do from home, with less productivity, more background noise, more interruptions, worse amenities, worse food and no one I actually work with,” one respondent said in the Federal News Network survey.

“Nothing has improved. Actually, all areas are worse,” another federal employee responded. “Limited bandwidth makes it harder to do my job. There are long lines to get onto the campus and in the building. There’s no parking, no cafeteria and low morale.”

Limited parking spaces are not the only problem. In some buildings, respondents report desk shortages of between 80 and 100. Many federal employees reported setting up shop in conference rooms, training rooms, cafeterias, and hallways. In extreme cases, some workers say they are working out of storage closets.

“I still do not have an assigned desk, and I’m in a conference room with 20 others,” another employee said. “We packed in like sardines.”

Federal Employees Report Unstable Internet Connections and Low Supplies

And if finding suitable accommodation for work wasn’t enough of a challenge, many employees report unstable Internet connections. The lack of internet access makes it difficult for federal employees to do their jobs. Employees who rely on a good internet connection are stuck waiting for browsers to load.

“Our internet crashes all day long. I literally sit there for hours without access,” a survey respondent said.

In some instances, employees are turning to personal hotspots for faster connections.

Beyond the lack of internet connectivity, federal employees are reporting insufficient IT equipment, computer monitors, desk chairs, or toilet paper, so many are bringing their own.

Conditions are unlikely to improve anytime soon. The shortages are due to a freeze on government payment cards, and the Trump administration has barred agencies from purchasing standard office supplies.

As Trump and his billionaire adviser and leader of the Department of Government Efficiency, Elon Musk, work to slash the federal budget and workforce, many returning employees believe this is a strategy to cut more employees.

As the Federal News Network points out, more than half of federal employees were working in person full-time because of the nature of their jobs. Approximately 46% of federal employees who could telework were spending 60% of their work hours in the office by the end of the Biden administration. Only 10% of the federal workforce was working entirely remotely.