The Future of Federal Work: Will Trump's DOGE End Remote Jobs for Good?

The Push for Change in Federal Work Structure

President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, led by billionaire Elon Musk and entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, is gearing up to eliminate remote work across federal agencies. This initiative, known as DOGE, aims to streamline the federal workforce by encouraging attrition.
Both Musk and Ramaswamy have voiced their concerns regarding the high number of federal employees working remotely, suggesting that a five-day in-office workweek should become mandatory for all federal employees.

“It’s a no-brainer step and many companies have done this. So why shouldn’t federal employees who are paid with taxpayer dollars be required to be in the office?”
The goal of this mandate, along with relocating agencies away from Washington, D.C., is to induce voluntary departures among federal workers, thereby reducing the workforce and saving taxpayer money.

Current Telework Policies

Currently, not all federal employees are required to be in the office full-time. As per the Office of Personnel Management, approximately 1.3 million federal workers are approved for telework, and government data indicates that these employees spend 60% of their time working in-person.
Union representatives argue that the claim that federal employees are not working in-person is unsupported by data. Changes to working conditions, particularly those affecting union contracts, must be negotiated through the collective bargaining process.

Impact on Employees

For many federal employees, the potential return to the office poses significant challenges. One Library of Congress employee expressed that such a change would disrupt their life, forcing them to relocate back to D.C. and potentially separate from their family.
Another federal worker stated that a two to three-hour commute to the nearest office would lead them to resign, emphasizing that the stress of commuting could negatively impact their productivity.

Beyond Remote Work: Broader Cost-Cutting Measures

The plans of DOGE extend beyond just remote work. There are anticipated executive orders aimed at cutting costs across federal agencies. Ramaswamy has highlighted the need to eliminate funding for programs that Congress no longer authorizes, pointing out that over $516 billion of taxpayer funds is spent annually on expired programs.
Musk and Ramaswamy are looking to identify areas within the federal government for potential cuts, relying on existing reports and previous recommendations for guidance. This approach suggests a thorough evaluation of government spending rather than a complete overhaul.
While they plan to hire a small, efficient team, much of the responsibility for identifying cuts will fall on the agencies themselves.