Government workers dismayed by Trump’s return-to-office mandate

Although this is only a small portion of the total U.S. workforce, the U.S. government is the nation’s largest employer with more than 2 million private employees. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), there are approximately 162,000 employees in Washington, D.C. alone, more than 40% of whom are federal employees. City workforce.

But most federal employees like Paulsen actually work in other parts of the country. 7.56% of federal employees work in dc

But no matter the location, many workers like Paulsen are reacting to President Trump’s RTO order with concern. There are also practical concerns. Paulsen questions whether his office, which is rented by the Department of Veterans Affairs, has enough seating for everyone employed by his department. Another Veterans Affairs official, who requested anonymity because he did not want his program to be targeted, expressed concerns about space, especially where sensitive medical information is being discussed.

Paulsen said he plans to return to the office five days a week no matter what.

“The guidance we give our employees is basically to not put yourself in a position where you can get fired,” he says.

Morale on the VA’s metastatic cancer research team has never been low, officials told NBC News. She requested that her name not be used because she did not want to lose the team’s funding. She said two people on her team are remote workers who work from home two days a week, performing administrative tasks and data analysis.

Guidance was changing hourly Thursday, she said. Because the contract is renewed every three years, the employee said that at one point, management told him to start looking for a new job, and then higher-ups informed him that he was eligible for the VA. list of exemptions.

The fate of remote colleagues and telework options remain uncertain, she said. They work with veterans across the country, and the team was concerned about those whose care might be canceled without them.

“It doesn’t feel good to go into a job without knowing if you’ll be able to get it in a few months,” she says.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture official in Washington, D.C., said he and his colleagues are making backup plans. They all have work-from-home arrangements, some working in remote locations that are hours’ drive from the nearest federal office. He views the executive order as an attempt to force people to resign. He requested anonymity for fear of retaliation.

“It feels like there’s an ax over my head,” he says.

The Trump administration is said Currently, only 6% of federal employees are working directly. However, according to an article in August, report According to the Office of Management and Budget, federal employees eligible for telework are currently working in-person about 61% of their time, excluding those who work completely remotely.

Among government agencies, the Department of Agriculture had the highest percentage of in-person hours at 81%. Meanwhile, the Environmental Protection Agency had the lowest rate at about 36%.

The Biden administration was already closely monitoring the implementation of a return to the office as the coronavirus pandemic subsided, with regular reports being issued on the use of telework by federal agencies.

OPM in December investigation According to the survey, 75% of employees eligible for telework participated in telework in 2023, which was a 12 percentage point decrease compared to 2022.

The report states that good results were obtained from the hybrid setup.

“Agencies report that using telework as an element of a hybrid work environment has significantly improved recruitment and retention, increased employee performance and organizational productivity, and resulted in significant cost savings. ”, the report states.

Republican-sponsored House Oversight Committee report this week accused the Biden administration of exaggerating office attendance, citing “physical and anecdotal evidence,” while simultaneously calling for more generous telework arrangements against federal union groups. They accused him of taking a “flexible” stance.

The Partnership for Public Service, a nonpartisan think tank that focuses on government effectiveness, praised President Trump’s desire to improve the accountability and performance of federal employees in a statement, but said in a statement that he would not return to public office. He said the order was an example of overreach.

“While moves to make the government more responsive to its people should be welcomed, the measures announced in President Trump’s workforce-related executive orders push that goal further afield,” the paper said. Ta.

In a press call with reporters this week, Partnership CEO Max Stier said: Telework is needed to attract more talented employees, who already tend to enjoy higher salaries in the private sector.

In a subsequent statement, Stier warned that the order would have a dramatic impact on the private lives of career civil servants.

“The affected employees are everyday people who have to provide for themselves and their families, and the abrupt and hasty approach chosen here is not just for them, but for continuing their role in serving society. It will also have a traumatic effect on my colleagues,” Stier said. Said.

Social media forums frequently used by government officials also include lit upGiven that many agencies are downsizing their office space, many questions have arisen about how agencies are expected to comply.

Even before the pandemic led to widespread work-from-home policies; 2010 Act cited telework for federal employees as a way to reduce office costs and promote resiliency in emergency situations, as long as employees continue to meet performance expectations.

wall street journal reported The government was trying to sell off much of its commercial real estate holdings. NBC News could not independently confirm the report.

Unions representing federal employees denounced the new policy, saying it would undermine government effectiveness and make it harder for agencies to recruit top talent.

“Rather than undo decades of progress in workplace policies that have benefited both employees and employers, I urge the Trump administration to reconsider its approach and make government programs better for Americans. We encourage you to focus on what you can do to make it work better,” said Everett Kelly. the president of the American Federation of Government Employees said in a statement.

AFGE’s contracts with key government agencies, such as the Environmental Protection Agency and the Department of Education, establish work-from-home and remote work procedures based on the 2010 law. The union said the order “does not appear to violate the collective bargaining agreement” and that whether to file a lawsuit would depend on the implementation of the policy.

AFGE said: “If they violate our contract, we will take appropriate measures to protect our rights.” in a statement.

Poulsen’s union, NFFE, similarly deemed the executive order “undermining critical services” and the termination of remote work agreements an attempt to force employees to resign.

“We are concerned that the current administration is violating the telework agreement,” NFFE National President Randy Irwin told NBC News.

One area that could benefit from this mandate is local businesses in downtown Washington, DC.

Jalen Price, director of the Downtown D.C. Business Improvement District, which covers the area east of the White House, said only about half of the office space within its boundaries is occupied. Price said 27% of its office space is owned and operated by the federal government.

Price said local businesses that once catered to 9-to-5 customers, from coffee shops to dry cleaners, have closed.

Leona Agridis, director of the Golden Triangle Business Improvement District, which includes the area between the White House and Dupont Circle a mile north, said the area doesn’t feel as busy as it did before the pandemic.

“This will go a long way in regaining the vibrancy we’ve lost over the past five years,” Agoridis said.

At Tune Inn, a restaurant and bar that has served Washington, D.C.’s Capitol Hill neighborhood since 1947, general manager Stephanie Hulbert is reinstating lunch discounts for federal employees, but not everyone will be able to take advantage of them after the pandemic. It was abolished because it did not. She knows this policy will change the lives of many federal employees, but she hopes they can help each other.

“We sincerely hope that when these workers return, they will support small businesses in need in Washington, D.C.,” Hulbert said. “I hope we can get morale up to where it needs to be.”