The White House is demanding the heads of federal departments and agencies begin personally tracking efforts to get government workers to return to the office, per Bloomberg.
White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients emphasized the need for federal agencies to accelerate their return-to-office efforts in a memo obtained by Bloomberg. Acknowledging that some agencies are not meeting their goals, Zients called for a renewed commitment from agency leaders. The move is a response to the slow return of Washington workers to offices, affecting local businesses' recovery.
Senator Joni Ernst's data revealed that during the first quarter of 2023, no federal agency's headquarters had an average utilization rate exceeding 50%, with three agencies—Department of Housing and Urban Development, Small Business Administration, and Social Security Administration—registering office utilization below 10%. In August, the White House initiated efforts to push federal managers to bring workers back to the office, resulting in over 50% of staff working in person for some departments.
While progress has been made in some large departments, others are falling short of return-to-office goals. The recent announcements by sports teams, Washington Capitals and Washington Wizards, to move to northern Virginia dealt another blow to the city's downtown.
Zients, as reported by Axios, expects Biden's Cabinet to take personal action to meet agency goals, emphasizing the importance of increased in-person work. Federal agencies are required to submit documents outlining their progress, steps to encourage return to offices, and future implementation plans.
Zients urged agency leaders to strengthen their commitment, highlighting the crucial role of their teams in serving the American people.
