Two U.S. Government Agencies Insist Workers Return to the Office

The demands for employees to make an in-office appearance continue, this time from the federal government.

It’s a common refrain as the working world in some industries tries to move from pandemic conditions, calling for and even requiring workers to come to the office three or four days per week.

Officials from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration and U.S. Transportation Department, including Transportation Secretary Pete Buttigieg told department employees in a video “We need to be around each other in person more than we are now to ensure this department’s long-term success.”

The department said in an email to employees it expects teleworking employees to report in person to their official duty location a minimum of three days every two weeks starting Sept. 10 and a minimum of four days per pay period starting Dec. 3, according to a Reuters report.

“We understand this will be a big transition for some, and there will certainly be an adjustment period. We commit to providing as much support as possible to employees as they navigate this change,” USDOT said in an employee email.

The FAA said it expects agency employees who are regularly teleworking to be in offices at least three days per week. The agency said in an email seen by Reuters it expects employees working remotely as of Oct. 9 to increase in-office presence to at least three days per week.

Government office space use has been an issue for years – including well before the pandemic – as agencies struggle to determine how much space they need. GlobeSt.com reported last week on a GAO recent report that indicated that only 25% of federal office space or less is being used in 17 of 24 agency buildings.

But it has been heating up since the end of the pandemic.

In February, the House passed legislation to mandate federal agencies to reinstate 2019 pre-pandemic telework policies and require telework expansions be certified by the Office of Personnel Management about their effectiveness.

In April, the White House Office of Management and Budget in a memo first reported by Reuters asked federal agencies to revise workforce plans as it aims to “substantially increase meaningful in-person work in federal offices.”

The private sector has grappled with return-to-office policies for several years, including at tech firms such as Google. The past few Labor Days have been “promised” as dates when workers would be returning to office more frequently, if not, by mandate.

Their decisions often are judged based on whether workers or companies have more leverage in employment.