Biden intensifies push for federal employees’ return to office.
President Biden Pushes for Federal Employees to Return to the Office
President Joe Biden is ramping up efforts to bring federal employees back to the office after more than a year of teleworking due to the pandemic. The once-bustling downtown Washington, D.C. has become a ghost town, with federal office buildings remaining mostly empty.
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In an email obtained by Axios on Friday, White House chief of staff Jeff Zients urged Cabinet members to ”aggressively execute this shift” back to in-person work. The email stated, “As we look towards the fall, and with the end of the COVID-19 public health emergency, your agencies will be implementing increases in the amount of in-person work for your team. This is a priority of the President — and I am looking to each of you to aggressively execute this shift in September and October.”
The Federal COVID-19 Public Health Emergency status ended on May 11, and President Biden, along with Washington leadership, is determined to fill the vacant office space downtown. A recent report from the Government Accountability Office revealed that federal agencies occupied only 39-49% of their headquarters, with utilization rates ranging from 10% to 50%.
The White House has been urging federal workers to return to their in-person office duties since March 2022, with President Biden stating during the State of the Union that “the vast majority of federal workers will once again work in person.” The administration has reiterated this message multiple times, providing new guidance for employees in April and promising a substantial increase in office workers.
“The guidance we are releasing today directs agencies to refresh their Work Environment plans and policies—with the general expectation that agency headquarters will continue to substantially increase in-person presence in the office,” said Jason Miller, the deputy director of the White House Office of Management and Budget.
While the latest calls from the executive office are the most aggressive yet, Chief of Staff Zients emphasized that remote work will not be completely eliminated. The goal is to strike a balance between in-person time for building a strong culture, trust, and interpersonal connections.
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