Federal Workforce Reform: Ending Remote Work

The American taxpayer has long endured a bloated federal bureaucracy that seems more adept at evasion than execution. With over 2.2 million civilian employees, the federal government is the largest employer in the nation, yet a significant portion of its workforce has been teleworking—or allegedly teleworking—since the COVID-19 pandemic. The pandemic may have subsided, but the habits it cultivated in federal offices linger like a fog, stifling accountability, efficiency, and the public’s trust. It’s time to end telework as the default for federal employees. Requiring a return to the office would not only foster accountability but also streamline an unwieldy bureaucracy. Let’s call it what it is: a chance to drain the swamp of its Democrat-dominated workforce while restoring trust in government operations.

Work is not just about output—it’s about engagement, collaboration, and accountability. The House Oversight Committee’s report reveals that massive telework under the Biden-Harris Administration has severely hampered federal agencies’ ability to fulfill their missions. As of May 2024, nearly half of telework-eligible employees were working from home three or more days a week, while 228,000 federal employees were fully remote, never setting foot in their offices. Agencies like the Department of Education report that more than half their workforce never shows up to the office. Without in-person oversight, the capacity to measure job performance deteriorates, as exemplified in the House Oversight Committee’s findings of widespread mismanagement. The report highlighted that managers frequently failed to track remote employees’ productivity, with some agencies reporting that over half of their workforce rarely logged into necessary systems. These failures leave taxpayers footing the bill for an absentee workforce.

This lack of accountability is compounded by a culture of complacency. The report describes a federal workforce where even managers, like GSA Administrator Robin Carnahan, telework from states far removed from the offices they oversee. The very people tasked with leading by example are instead perpetuating a culture of evasion.

A return to the office will naturally compel many employees to seek alternative employment. This is not a downside but a long-overdue opportunity. The federal government is notorious for its inefficiency and bloat, a problem exacerbated by decades of union concessions that shield poor performers. If 25% of federal workers quit—a realistic scenario—this exodus would trim the fat from an overweight system, paving the way for a more agile and responsive government.

Such an exodus would ease the burden on taxpayers. The federal government wastes billions annually maintaining underutilized office space. A Government Accountability Office report highlights that 17 of the 24 largest federal agencies use less than 25% of their office capacity. For instance, the Department of Education occupies vast spaces while over half its employees rarely report to the office. This inefficiency is compounded by billions spent on unused office furniture and leases. Consolidating operations and reducing excess personnel would save taxpayers significant sums and improve service delivery.

Let’s not ignore the glaring political reality: Over 90% of federal workers are Democrat voters and donors, as evidenced by studies such as the 2019 Government Accountability Office analysis, which highlighted the political leanings of the federal workforce. Additionally, data from Federal Election Commission filings shows more than 90% of federal employees’ donations going to Democratic candidates. This partisan imbalance makes the bureaucracy a natural ally of progressive agendas, resistant to reforms aimed at limiting government overreach. Under the Biden-Harris Administration, unions wielded their influence to embed generous telework provisions in collective bargaining agreements, locking in remote work until 2029 for some agencies. This is not governance—it is political entrenchment masquerading as policy.

The telework regime has allowed bureaucrats to evade accountability while operating as a shadow political apparatus for the Democratic Party. For example, the report highlights how federal employee unions successfully embedded telework guarantees in collective bargaining agreements to shield workers from scrutiny, ensuring policies aligned with partisan goals rather than agency missions. A return to in-person work will not only enhance transparency but also disrupt this cozy arrangement, ensuring that federal employees serve the public’s interest rather than partisan agendas.

This is not to say that telework should be permanently banished. Certain roles may benefit from limited remote work arrangements once a culture of accountability has been reestablished. For example, the Veterans Benefits Administration has demonstrated how telework can improve productivity through effective monitoring of employee outputs, ensuring mission-critical tasks are accomplished efficiently even in remote settings. However, flexibility must be earned, not assumed. Agencies like the Veterans Benefits Administration, which effectively monitors telework performance through quantifiable metrics, can serve as a model. Until robust oversight mechanisms are in place, a blanket return to the office is the only path forward.

The telework experiment has revealed fundamental flaws in how the federal government operates. It has exposed a workforce unmoored from accountability, a bureaucracy insulated from scrutiny, and a political class all too willing to exploit these weaknesses. By ending widespread telework and requiring federal employees to return to their offices, the incoming Trump Administration has an opportunity to restore order, efficiency, and public trust. On January 20, 2025, President Trump issued an executive order mandating that all federal employees return to in-person work at their respective duty stations. This directive underscores the administration’s commitment to restoring accountability and transparency in government operations, ensuring taxpayer dollars are used effectively while addressing the inefficiencies of remote work. As highlighted in the House Oversight Committee’s findings, some agencies are utilizing less than 25% of their office capacity, while taxpayers bear the cost of billions in underutilized spaces. This policy shift is critical to ensuring that government resources are used effectively to serve the American people. It is a chance to remind the federal workforce that their duty is to the American people, not to their comfort, convenience, or partisan affiliations. The swamp won’t drain itself; it’s time to get to work.

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