The Trump administration is moving quickly to fulfill the president’s campaign promise to rein in federal teleworking, according to new guidance.
The Office of Personnel Management released a memo Wednesday fleshing out how agencies will implement Trump’s order to reduce telework for federal employees. Civil servants working from home has become a flash point for Trump’s Republican allies on Capitol Hill, arguing it has hindered services to the public since the end of the Covid-19 pandemic.
“Federal office buildings sit mostly empty, particularly Washington, D.C.-area agency headquarters offices, devastating the local economy and serving as a national embarrassment,” acting OPM Director Charles Ezell said in the guidance sent to agency and department heads.
He added, “Virtually unrestricted telework has led to poorer government services and made it more difficult to supervise and train government workers.”
