Federal Workers to Return to Office Under Trump Order: Who’s Impacted

President Donald Trump issued an executive order Monday that could effectively ban federal workers from working remotely.

Newsweek reached out to the White House for comment via email on Monday night.

Why It Matters

Trump’s order, which applies to federal employees only, could be part of a strategy to begin purging federal agencies of employees, both to trim the federal bureaucracy and to install government workers who are loyal to Trump.

SpaceX CEO Elon Musk, the incoming head of the Department of Government Efficiency, explicitly mentioned the former goal in an opinion piece for the Wall Street Journal last year, writing that requiring federal employees to return to the office five days a week “would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”

“If federal employees don’t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home,” the op-ed read.

In one study published last year, a majority of fully remote workers said they would quit their jobs if forced to return to in-person only work. While the topic is frequently debated, data suggests that remote work may boost productivity.

What To Know

“Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, 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, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary,” Trump’s “Return To In-Person Work” executive action says.

Approximately 54 percent of 2.3 million federal workers currently work entirely in person, while just 10 percent of federal workers work entirely remotely, according to an NPR report citing data from the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.

Which Federal Workers Are Included in the Executive Action?

The order appears to apply to all civilian federal workers. However, it also allows for “department and agency heads” to “make exemptions they deem necessary,” which could result in some remote workers keeping their current arrangements.

How Are Teleworkers Impacted by the Executive Action?

If federal agencies demand that remote workers transition to in-person roles only, teleworkers will likely face a choice of keeping their jobs by working in person, quitting due to the new demands, or being terminated if they refuse to comply with the order.

What Is the Federal Hiring Freeze?

Trump also signed an executive action ordering a “freeze” on hiring new federal employees. The action, which went into effect immediately, pauses government agencies from hiring for an open positions and from creating any new positions that need to be filled.

The order does not apply to the military and also includes exemptions for “making reallocations” and for any administration positions that are appointed or nominated by Trump himself.

What People Are Saying

Conservative internet personality Mario Nawfal, in a post to X, formerly Twitter: “President’s new order forces government employees back to their desks, as advisers predict mass exodus from federal workforce. The strategy? Simple: Make them show up, watch them quit. Draining the swamp one empty desk at a time.”

Everett Kelley, national president of the country’s largest union of federal workers, the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), said in a statement: “President Trump’s order is a blatant attempt to corrupt the federal government by eliminating employees’ due process rights so they can be fired for political reasons. It will remove hundreds of thousands of federal jobs from the nonpartisan, professional civil service and make them answerable to the will of one man.

This unprecedented assertion of executive power will create an army of sycophants beholden only to Donald Trump, not the Constitution or the American people. The integrity of the entire federal government could be irreparably harmed if this is not stopped… AFGE urges Congress to intervene immediately…”

What Happens Next

While the timing for implementing Trump’s order is unclear, a large number of federal remote workers may have to adjust to new working conditions soon.

Congress could potentially intervene, although both the House and the Senate are controlled by Republicans who are unlikely to oppose Trump’s policy. Trump’s executive orders could also be delayed by legal challenges or blocked entirely by subsequent court rulings.