- Trump orders civil servants to return to full-time duties
- Federal workers will have weakened job protections
- Resignations and staff changes expected
U.S. government officials have been mandated to return to the office full-time under Trump’s new leadership, marking the end of hybrid and flexible work setups.
Tech companies have largely implemented office work policies, ranging from three to five days a week, in recent years following pandemic-induced remote options, and now it’s the U.S. government’s turn to follow this example.
Trump’s new policy, implemented on his inauguration day, will require U.S. federal employees to return to work in person full time.
Trump grants full-time RTO to civil servants
A short statement reads: “The heads of all departments and agencies of the executive branch of government will, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to end remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in person in their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the heads of ministries and agencies grant any exemptions they deem necessary.
The new president also “immediately” and “with full force and effect” reinstated so-called Schedule F, effectively weakening job protections for public employees.
Critics say the move could help Trump replace some employees with a more loyal workforce. The National Treasury Employee Union, which represents federal government employees, has already gone to federal court in Washington to sue Trump (via PK Press Club).
Additionally, the hiring freeze and the formation of the new Department of Government Effectiveness (DOGE), led by Tesla CEO Elon Musk, will further affect the size and composition of the federal government.
Musk is also a fan of in-person work — in a statement to Tesla employees, he claimed that remote work was “no longer acceptable.” Voluntary resignations at government agencies are expected following the latest changes led by Trump and, possibly, Musk.
