Federal employees will no longer be able to work remotely due to an executive order signed by President Donald Trump on his first day back in office.
The Jan. 20 mandate requires all federal agencies to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis.”
Acting Department of Homeland Security Secretary Benjamine Huffman wasted no time, requiring all workers to return to in-person duties.
Huffman noted the total number of hours of remote work done in 2024: 28.9% for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, 24.4% for U.S. Coast Guard personnel, and 39.7% for the Cyber Security and Infrastructure Security Agency.
“These numbers are unacceptable,” Huffman said. “It is the policy of this agency for employees to work at their duty station—whether in an office or the field—to the maximum extent.”
Huffman is requiring all DHS officials who have not returned to in-person duties to provide documentation within 30 days. Possible reasons for continuing remote work due to “lack of adequate office space, physical inability of the employee, or a legal impediment,” he wrote.
Reuters reported that on Monday that the White House revealed only 6% of federal employees currently report to work in person. An August White House Office of Management and Budget report estimated that around 1.1 million people are eligible to work remotely, and over 200,000 are fully remote.
The U.S. Departments of Defense, Veterans Affairs, and Health and Human Services accounted for having the most remote employees.
JP Morgan Chase ignited an uproar from several employees after the company ended remote options and required existing workers to return to the office full-time.
Remote positions became a popular option for workers nationwide during the COVID-19 pandemic. In November, Elon Musk condemned the “COVID-era privilege” of telework. It stated that “requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”
Trump’s executive order may provoke legal challenges and pushback because an estimated 26% of federal employees are unionized or covered by bargaining agreements.
RELATED CONTENT: Gen Z’s Mental Health Struggles Create Catch-22 In Employment, UK Study Reveals
