Federal Employees Fight Office Return as White House, Congress Up the Stakes
For federal employees and managers, the fight over returning to the office is heating up and, in some cases, it is prompting federal employees to look for another job.
A survey from the Federal Times found that half of federal employees have applied for a new job both in and out of government since 2021, when agencies were first formally told to start working on return to office plans.
The survey of 960 workers found that among those who left their federal positions, more than one-third said telework was the deciding factor, while another 30 percent said telework weighed heavily in their decision.
Forty-one percent of respondents said they are teleworking less now than at the height of the pandemic, although 95 percent said they work from home at least some of the time.
White House Return to Office Push
The survey comes as the White House continues its return to office push. In August, White House Chief of Staff Jeff Zients sent an email to cabinet officials, saying they should “hit the ground running” and “aggressively execute” a shift to more in-person work starting in September and October.
“These changes will allow us to harness the benefits of enhanced flexibilities that we experienced during the pandemic, while ensuring we have the in-person time we need to build a strong culture, trust and interpersonal connections,” Zients wrote in the email, which was obtained by Federal News Network.
Varied Agency Response
So far, agency responses have varied. The Small Business Administration (SBA) for example, says all political appointees, members of the Senior Executive Service and senior-level staff must report to the office for at least five days per pay period starting September 25.
The Social Security Administration (SSA) will require senior executives at agency headquarters to report to the office for four days per two-week pay period, starting November 6.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) grounded its plans for now. Return to office is on hold after unions complained the decision was made unilaterally and in violation of collective bargaining agreements.
The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is ordering all telework-eligible employees with telework agreements to head back to the office at least four days per pay period. OPM is taking a phased approach, starting it in September and fully implementing the policy in October.
Congress Wants Answers
With return to office plans swirling, Republicans in Congress are demanding answers on the impact of telework.
The House Subcommittee on Government Operations and the Federal Workforce will hold a hearing entitled “ Oversight of Federal Agencies’ Post-Pandemic Telework Policies” on Thursday, September 14, 2023 to examine “the Biden Administration’s post-pandemic telework and remote work policies for federal employees.”
“We need an objective measurement to determine what impact telework has on the ability of agencies to get their missions done. It’s important we deliberately ensure the American people are receiving the value from government they deserve,” wrote the chairman of the subcommittee, Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX).