Federal worker’s end of remote work and job stability.

Wed Jan 22 2025
Nikki Bailey (1376 articles)
Federal worker’s end of remote work and job stability.

A concerned federal workforce faces the prospect of relinquishing job security and the flexibility of remote work. The recent actions taken by President Trump to reshape the federal workforce sent shockwaves through Washington on Tuesday, as he mandated that government employees return to the office five days a week while simultaneously diminishing their job protections.

Within various federal offices, an air of unease and uncertainty enveloped the environment as staff navigated a barrage of executive orders and directives issued by the incoming administration. Unions representing federal workers swiftly mobilized to protect their members from impending changes, with one organization initiating legal action against an executive order designed to dismantle civil-service safeguards. “It’s creating considerable uncertainty that individuals have not previously experienced,” remarked Michael Gibbons, 43, a product-support manager for the Navy, noting that the current climate has eroded one of the primary advantages of federal employment—stability. “There appears to be a significant degree of skepticism regarding the functioning of current systems.”

Human-resources managers throughout the government were compelled to contact recent hires whose start dates were scheduled after February 8 to notify them that their offers had been revoked. Managers received urgent inquiries from employees regarding the return to the office, alongside concerns from transgender staff about the potential removal of gender-neutral bathrooms in federal workplaces. Concerns have been raised by employees regarding the potential lack of security clearances for the Department of Government Efficiency teams assigned to various agencies, which may hinder their ability to access sensitive information.

Members of the Cyber Safety Review Board, engaged in an investigation into the Chinese hacking of U.S. telecommunications networks that compromised Trump’s phone calls, were notified of their dismissal following a Department of Homeland Security directive to disband all advisory committees, as reported by sources familiar with the situation. Their review currently hangs in uncertainty and may face termination. The Dep artment of Homeland Security, responsible for overseeing the board, refrained from providing any comments. Discussions surrounding diversity, equity, and inclusion were either discreetly called off or accompanied by significant declarations. Chairman Brendan Carr of the Federal Communications Commission announced the dissolution of the agency’s diversity, equity, and inclusion advisory group. He also retracted an action plan that advocated for DEI initiatives and removed the subject from the agency’s strategic plan and budget, among other measures.

Michael Gibbons asserts that the executive orders are creating considerable uncertainty. Subsequently, in a memo released on Tuesday, the Trump administration announced that all federal personnel involved in diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives would be placed on paid leave by Wednesday at 5 p.m., as their offices were being closed in compliance with the directive to suspend DEI programs. At the Food and Drug Administration, there were inquiries among employees regarding the true leadership of the agency, according to sources familiar with the situation. The departure of Dr. Robert Califf, Biden’s FDA commissioner, left a leadership vacuum, with no official announcement from the White House or the transition team regarding interim management until the confirmation of Dr. Marty Makary, Trump’s nominee.

Employees expressed apprehension regarding the specifics of a full return to the office, as the agency had been grappling with insufficient desk and parking facilities at its White Oak, Md., headquarters even prior to the pandemic. “It seems we will all be seated cross-legged on the floor,” remarked a federal employee from a different agency.

At the Department of Homeland Security, Acting Secretary Benjamine Huffman has circulated a memo mandating in-person work for employees. He characterized remote work as a valuable resource, yet one that is prone to considerable misuse. According to him, nearly a quarter of the total hours logged by Coast Guard personnel last year were conducted remotely. DHS employees remain in anticipation of further guidance regarding the timeline for their return and the potential for exceptions, particularly for those who have relocated outside the Washington area.

Approximately 50% of the personnel at the Energy Department’s Loan Programs Office, responsible for allocating funds to clean-energy initiatives, are believed to be engaged in remote work. A significant number of those individuals are expected to resign or be compelled to leave, according to the employee. In a recent late-night update on Truth Social, Trump asserted that the presidential personnel office is “actively in the process of identifying and removing over a thousand Presidential Appointees,” highlighting four individuals in particular. Included in the group was the renowned chef José Andrés, who has been appointed by President Joe Biden to the President’s Council on Sports, Fitness and Nutrition. Andrés retorted that his two-year term had concluded and that he had stepped down.

At the Justice Department, a number of senior career officials in the criminal and national-security divisions have been removed or reassigned, according to sources familiar with the situation. This marks the initial phase of a broader anticipated reorganization at the agency that has been a longstanding point of contention for Trump. Staff members have grown increasingly anxious as Trump and his appointees have targeted the department, resulting in a notable exodus to law firms and other positions in the private sector. According to one individual, over 15 people have relocated thus far. Beyond the realm of national security, certain employees were engaged in sectors including international affairs. The adjustments aim to synchronize the department with the priorities of the Trump administration, particularly regarding heightened immigration enforcement, according to one source. The Justice Department refrained from providing any commentary.

A number of employees perceived ambiguity in the phrasing of certain executive actions. The directive regarding the return to the office, for instance, incorporates the phrase “consistent with applicable law”—a formulation that some employees interpreted as aligning with the collective-bargaining agreements established by certain agencies, which delineate their policies for returning to the office. The directive stipulates that the alteration should be executed “as soon as practicable.” Unions advocating for federal employees have pledged to safeguard their interests, contending that there is no valid justification for reducing the workforce, which has exhibited a consistent size in recent decades.

The unions are contesting various directives related to the federal workforce, notably the recent reinstatement of a plan introduced by Trump in October 2020 aimed at dismantling job protections for federal employees, referred to as Schedule F. The initiative faced obstruction at the onset of the Biden administration in 2021. The National Treasury Employees Union, representing 150,000 workers across 37 federal agencies and departments, initiated legal action against the Trump administration late Monday in the federal district court for the District of Columbia. The union contends that the order erodes merit-based civil service principles and infringes upon the due-process rights of career civil servants.

Doreen Greenwald, the national president of the union, characterized the executive order as a “dangerous step backward to a political spoils system that Congress expressly rejected 142 years ago.” In a recent executive order, Trump has enacted a hiring freeze and mandated that the Office of Management and Budget present a strategy by mid-April aimed at decreasing the Federal Government’s workforce through enhanced efficiency and attrition.

The budget office, in conjunction with DOGE, the group spearheaded by Elon Musk, is set to play a significant role in efforts aimed at reducing the size and scope of the federal government. Musk, in a post on X, his social media platform, commended the initiative to abolish remote work, stating, “Pretending to work while taking money from taxpayers is no longer acceptable.” In a memo issued on Monday by Charles Ezell, the acting director of the U.S. Office of Personnel Management, agency leaders were instructed to compile a list by Friday of “all employees on probationary periods, those who have served less than a year in a competitive service appointment, or those who have served less than two years in an expected service appointment.” The memorandum urges the agencies to assess the retention of employees, who, under current legislation, are subject to termination with relative ease.

The memorandum further urged agencies to place employees on paid administrative leave during restructuring efforts, particularly when a new agency manager concludes that the employee’s absence from the office serves the interests of the agency or the Government at large. Certain employees have expressed concerns that placing undesired personnel on paid administrative leave undermines the administration’s commitments to reduce federal expenditures.

Nikki Bailey

Nikki Bailey

Nikki Bailey reports on US Stocks. She covers also economy and related aspects. She has been tracking US Stock markets for several years now. She is based in New York