Trump Tells Civil Servants to Work in Office... Foreign Media Say "Not as Easy as It Sounds"

Trump's Stance on Ending Remote Work for Federal Employees
"Get Fired If You Don't Return to Office" Legal Disputes Expected
Union Contract Guarantees and Lack of Workspace Pose Challenges

President-elect Donald Trump has announced plans to call federal government employees who are working remotely back to the office, but there are predictions that the process will not be easy. On the 26th (local time), The Washington Post (WP) reported that "it is not easy to revert the expanded remote work for government employees during the COVID-19 pandemic back to pre-pandemic levels."

President-elect of the United States, Donald Trump. Photo by Reuters and Yonhap News.

Earlier, on the 16th, Trump held a press conference and said, "If (federal government) employees do not return to the office to work, they will be fired." He criticized, "Someone in the Biden administration gave a five-year exemption so that (employees) do not have to return to the office. That is nonsense and like a gift to the unions." He emphasized, "We will definitely go to court to stop that."

Federal employees strongly oppose this policy. As Trump mentioned, a significant number of employees are legally guaranteed remote work under collective bargaining agreements between the government and unions. About 56% of the total 2.3 million federal employees are covered by collective agreements, many of which include provisions allowing remote work. Recently, the Social Security Administration (SSA) labor and management signed an agreement to extend remote work for five years ahead of Trump’s inauguration.

Another issue is that even if employees want to return to the office, there is a lack of workspace. The General Services Administration (GSA), which manages government office buildings, has actively disposed of buildings with high maintenance costs over the past few years. Especially after COVID-19, agencies such as the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), Department of Justice, Department of Veterans Affairs, Department of the Treasury, Internal Revenue Service (IRS), and Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) have reduced their real estate holdings. Recently, the GSA announced that it has started procedures to dispose of 1.5 million ft² of unused office space.

Employees hired after the introduction of remote work have no experience working in offices and are experiencing confusion. According to a report from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) in August, 1.1 million federal employees, accounting for 46% of the total, are eligible for remote work. About 228,000 employees, approximately 10% of the total, have official work locations at home or leased spaces far from government buildings. Those accustomed to remote work are reportedly considering retirement following Trump’s inauguration.

However, Elon Musk, Tesla CEO, and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, head of the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) created by Trump, have expressed the view that "eliminating remote work to induce voluntary retirement can reduce the bloated government workforce."