Summarize this content to 2000 words in 6 paragraphs Federal workers across two government departments have been given deadlines for when they need to return to the office following sweeping changes brought in by the Trump administration.Why It MattersPresident Donald Trump issued an executive order on the day of his inauguration that mandates a return to the office for federal workers as he seeks to improve the government’s efficiency and performance.Approximately 54 percent of 2.3 million federal workers currently work 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.What to KnowNon-bargaining employees of the Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) have been told they need to return to the office this February.DoD employees who would usually work from home are now required to return full time to the office by February 7, following a memorandum from the newly appointed defense secretary, Pete Hegseth.
Exterior shot of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., on July 21, 2019.
Exterior shot of the Department of Veterans Affairs in Washington, D.C., on July 21, 2019.
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“DoD components will terminate telework and remote work agreements for all DoD employees who work remotely or via telework within 50 miles of their agency worksite,” he ordered in the January 31 memo. “Employees must report full-time in person to their agency worksite no later than seven days from the date of this memorandum.”As for the VA, non-unionized employees must return to offices by February 24. According to its website, more than 20 percent of the VA’s 479,000 plus employees currently have telework or remote work arrangements.”Return to in-person work requirements for bargaining unit employees will be announced at a later date,” VA Secretary Todd Hunter said, according to a report by the Federal News Network.”VA’s policy allows exceptions for arrangements approved for employees as a reasonable accommodation due to a disability or a qualifying medical condition. Exceptions may also be allowed for military spouses with permanent change of station orders.”What People Are SayingThe text of the executive action signed by Trump on January 20: “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.”Everett Kelley, national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, 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.”What’s NextAny federal employees who do not wish to give up working from home have been told to resign by February 6 and retain their pay and benefits for a period, according to the U.S. Office of Personnel Management.Analysts will be watching to see how many people resign, cutting costs for the government, and whether in-person work improves efficiency.Are you a federal government worker who has been ordered to return to the office? What do you think of the new policy? Share your thoughts with [email protected]
