President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) is expected to push for an end to remote work across federal agencies as a way to reduce the federal workforce through attrition. DOGE, helmed by billionaire Elon Musk and biotech entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy, aims to implement a five-day work week requirement for all federal employees.
The initiative’s priorities include immediately ending remote work across federal agencies and making the new policy mandatory. According to sources, this measure is expected to result in many federal workers voluntarily leaving their jobs due to the change in working conditions. The thinking behind this approach is that it will help thin out the federal workforce ranks and save the government money.
However, not everyone is supportive of the plan. Everett Kelley, national president for the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing over 800,000 federal workers, has expressed concerns about the potential impact on working conditions and union contracts. Kelley stated that changes to working conditions must be negotiated with unions through the normal collective bargaining process.
Some federal employees who have been allowed to work remotely face significant disruptions if they are forced back to office. They worry about having to relocate due to lack of space at their former offices or being unable to afford long commutes. These workers believe that the policy change will not only be stressful but also reduce productivity.
DOGE plans to address various cost-cutting measures through executive orders and rulemaking processes. The initiative aims to pull from existing reports and previous government commissions focused on cutting spending, rather than reinventing the wheel. Musk and Ramaswamy plan to identify areas of inefficiency across the federal government where they can make cuts, with a small team of experts guiding the process.
While details are still emerging, DOGE’s approach to reducing federal spending and improving efficiency is expected to be a significant focus for the new administration.
Source: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/11/20/politics/doge-remote-work-federal-employees/index.html