Mandatory Return to Work for VA Employees
Thousands of Veterans Affairs (VA) employees are required to return to their offices full-time by the end of the month, as announced by the department on Monday. This decision follows a directive from President Donald Trump on January 20, stating that eligible employees must work in VA facilities.
Acting VA Secretary Todd Hunter emphasized the importance of treating all employees equally, noting that most clinical staff do not have the option to work remotely. He stated, "Most VA clinical staff don't have the luxury of working remotely, and we believe the performance, collaboration, and productivity of the department will improve if all VA employees are held to the same standard."
Who is Affected?
Currently, over 20% of the VA's 479,000 employees work remotely. However, not all will be required to return; exemptions apply to those with disabilities, medical conditions, or other compelling reasons. This also includes military spouses with permanent change of station (PCS) orders.
Political appointees and senior-level professional employees will no longer be allowed to telework, with their agreements ending on February 24. Supervisors living within 50 miles of a VA facility must also return to work. Employees who are not union members and are within this radius have until April 28 to report back to their duty stations.
Future Guidance
The announcement does not affect those whose workstations are located 50 miles or more from an agency facility or union members, with further guidance for these groups to be announced later.
Following his inauguration, Trump directed federal department heads to terminate remote work arrangements "as soon as practicable" to ensure employees work at their respective duty stations. The exact number of VA employees eligible for exemptions remains unclear, although VA Secretary Doug Collins indicated that 80% of VA employees are union members.
Critics of the directive argue that it undermines the progress made in telework policies since 2010, when Congress mandated federal agencies to expand telework.
In a recent email to all VA employees, Hunter mentioned the opportunity for employees to submit a "deferred resignation" by February 6 to receive pay through September 30.
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