The Blubber

Trump Administration Orders Federal Employees Back to the Office

A new directive from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is ordering federal employees to return to in-person work, following President Donald Trump’s “Return to In-Person Work” memorandum.

In a memo to all department and agency heads, acting OPM Director Charles Ezell stated that remote work arrangements must be terminated as soon as practicable, except for cases where agency heads determine exemptions are necessary.

"Empty Offices Are a National Embarrassment"

Ezell’s memo paints a stark picture of federal offices sitting largely empty, with many employees failing to return to in-person work since the shift to telework during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The memo argues that these vacant offices have not only crippled Washington, D.C.’s local economy but also represent a “national embarrassment.”

“Virtually unrestricted telework has led to poorer government services and made it more difficult to supervise and train government workers,” Ezell wrote, citing a recent House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform report.

That report, published last week, criticized the lack of data supporting remote work policies and found that:

• Taxpayers are wasting billions on office spaces that remain empty.
• The Biden administration made “no real attempt” to measure how telework affects agency performance.
• There is no clear evidence that remote work has improved productivity or helped with recruitment and retention.

Federal Unions Accused of Blocking RTO Efforts

Ezell’s memo further criticizes the Biden administration for allegedly allowing federal unions to stall return-to-office (RTO) efforts by pushing for permanent full-time remote work.

The House Oversight report also suggested that remote work policies have been "rampantly abused" and underreported, arguing that:

• Agencies should tie telework eligibility to performance metrics rather than employee preferences or union demands.
• Automated systems should be used to track approved remote work.
• Federal agencies should not compete for talent based on remote work perks.

The committee further recommended that the government should eliminate unneeded office space and terminate unnecessary leases to end the wasteful spending associated with empty offices.

Limited Exemptions, but a Firm Push to Return

Ezell acknowledged that some employees may qualify for exemptions, including those with disabilities, medical conditions, or other compelling reasons approved by both their agency head and supervisor.

However, he emphasized that a government-wide return-to-office policy is necessary.

“The only way to get employees back to the office is to adopt a centralized policy requiring return-to-work for all agencies across the federal government,” Ezell wrote.