President Donald Trump signed an executive order ending remote work for federal employees, requiring them to return to the office five days a week. It’s a move that will likely cause legal challenges from unions.
While the president does have authority over the federal workforce and can prohibit employees from working remotely, the rule in many cases can only apply to those who are not unionized.
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How many federal workers are unionized?
According to Reuters, 26% of federal employees are unionized, with many covered by bargaining agreements that allow for remote or hybrid work.
That means the Trump administration will have to wait for those to expire, or renegotiate the agreements.
Federal agencies are also required to allow employees with disabilities to work remotely because of federal law that says employers must grant “reasonable accommodations” to workers with chronic medical conditions.
In 2001, President George W. Bush added telework to his New Freedom Initiative, citing work from home as a reasonable accommodation for people with disabilities.
Who are the critics of remote work?
The COVID-19 pandemic led to more employees working from home, but Republicans have been focusing on getting federal workers back in person, calling remote work a taxpayer-funded perk that’s hurting government performance.
At a House Oversight and Accountability hearing this month, Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene, R-Ga., stressed the need for a return to in-office work for all federal agencies.
“President Trump was elected to put the federal bureaucracy in its place. And that includes back in the office,” Greene said.
Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, wrote a report late last year titled “Out of Office.”
“Service backlogs and delays, unanswered phone calls and emails, and no-show appointments are harming the health, lives, and aspirations of Americans,” Ernst said.
Elon Musk, who is leading the Department of Government Efficiency, created by Trump, said in a November 2024 Wall Street Journal opinion piece that federal workers should not be paid for “the Covid-era privilege” of telework.
He suggested that requiring federal employees to return to the office five days a week would “result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome.”
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Why do unions support report work?
Unions have said remote work is necessary for recruitment and retention in the workplace. Multiple agencies, including the Social Security Administration, agreed to long-term telework arrangements in their collective bargaining agreements.
The president of the American Federation of Government Employees, Everett Kelley, called Trump’s directive a “backward action” and asked the Trump administration to rethink its approach.
Tags: Department of Government Efficiency, DOGE, Donald Trump, Elon Musk, Joni Ernst, Marjorie Taylor Greene, Unions, Washington, Washington DC
[Karah Rucker]
PRESIDENT DONALD TRUMP SIGNED AN EXECUTIVE ORDER ENDING REMOTE WORK FOR FEDERAL EMPLOYEES, REQUIRING THEM TO RETURN TO THE OFFICE FIVE DAYS A WEEK.
IT’S A MOVE THAT’LL LIKELY CAUSE LEGAL CHALLENGES FROM UNIONS.
WHILE THE PRESIDENT DOES HAVE AUTHORITY OVER THE FEDERAL WORKFORCE AND CAN PROHIBIT EMPLOYEES FROM WORKING REMOTELY – THE RULE IN MANY CASES CAN ONLY APPLY TO THOSE WHO ARE *NOT* UNIONIZED.
ACCORDING TO REUTERS, 26 PERCENT OF FEDERAL EMPLOYEES ARE UNIONIZED – WITH MANY COVERED BY BARGAINING AGREEMENTS THAT ALLOW FOR REMOTE OR HYBRID WORK.
THAT MEANS THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION WILL HAVE TO WAIT FOR THOSE TO EXPIRE OR RENEGOTIATE THE AGREEMENTS.
FEDERAL AGENCIES ARE ALSO REQUIRED TO ALLOW EMPLOYEES WITH DISABILITIES TO WORK REMOTELY BECAUSE OF FEDERAL LAW THAT SAYS EMPLOYERS MUST GRANT “REASONABLE ACCOMMODATIONS” TO WORKERS WITH CHRONIC MEDICAL CONDITIONS.
IN 2001, PRESIDENT GEORGE W BUSH ADDED TELEWORK TO HIS NEW FREEDOM INITIATIVE CITING WORK FROM HOME AS A “REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION” FOR PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES.
THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC LED TO MORE EMPLOYEES WORKING FROM HOME, BUT REPUBLICANS HAVE BEEN FOCUSING ON GETTING FEDERAL WORKERS BACK IN-PERSON, CALLING REMOTE WORK A TAXPAYER-FUNDED PERK THAT’S HURTING GOVERNMENT PERFORMANCE.
AT A HOUSE OVERSIGHT AND ACCOUNTABILITY HEARING THIS MONTH, GEORGIA REPRESENTATIVE MARJORIE TAYLOR GREENE STRESSED THE NEED FOR A RETURN TO IN-OFFICE WORK FOR ALL FEDERAL AGENCIES.
“President Trump was elected to put the federal bureaucracy in its place. And that includes back in the office.
REPUBLICAN IOWA SENATOR JONI ERNST WROTE IN A REPORT LATE LAST YEAR
“SERVICE BACKLOGS AND DELAYS, UNANSWERED PHONE CALLS AND EMAILS, AND NO-SHOW APPOINTMENTS ARE HARMING THE HEALTH, LIVES, AND ASPIRATIONS OF AMERICANS.”
ELON MUSK WHO’S LEADING THE DEPARTMENT OF GOVERNMENT EFFICIENCY CREATED BY TRUMP, SAID IN A NOVEMBER WALL STREET JOURNAL OPINION PIECE THAT FEDERAL WORKERS SHOULD NOT BE PAID FOR “THE COVID-ERA PRIVILEGE” OF TELEWORK.
HE SUGGESTED THAT REQUIRING FEDERAL EMPLOYEES TO RETURN TO THE OFFICE FIVE DAYS A WEEK WOULD QUOTE “RESULT IN A WAVE OF VOLUNTARY TERMINATIONS THAT WE WELCOME.”
UNIONS SAY REMOTE WORK IS NECESSARY FOR RECRUITMENT AND RETENTION IN THE WORKPLACE WITH MULTIPLE AGENCIES INCLUDING THE SOCIAL SECURITY ADMINISTRATION AGREEING TO LONG-TERM TELEWORK ARRANGEMENTS IN THEIR COLLECTIVE BARGAINING AGREEMENTS.
THE PRESIDENT OF THE AMERICAN FEDERATION OF GOVERNMENT EMPLOYEES CALLED TRUMP’S DIRECTIVE A “BACKWARD ACTION” AND ASKED THE TRUMP ADMINISTRATION TO RETHINK ITS APPROACH.
FOR SAN – I’M KARAH RUCKER… FOR ALL YOUR LATEST NEWS HEADLINES – DOWNLOAD THE STRAIGHT ARROW NEWS APP TODAY.
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