President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday requiring most federal employees to return to work full time, a move likely to spark backlash from unions and legal challenges.
What does President Trump's order mean?
President Trump directed the heads of all federal agencies to “take all necessary steps to end remote work arrangements” and require employees to report to their “respective work locations” full-time. .
of order of two sentences The directive states that it “shall be implemented in accordance with applicable law.”
Can President Trump ban federal employees from working remotely?
it depends. The president has broad powers over federal employees, including the ability to direct agencies to stop allowing non-union employees to work from home.
That includes supervisors and managers who cannot join unions, and President Trump could soon order them back into office.
But about 26% of federal employees are unionized, and many are covered by collective bargaining agreements that allow for remote work or hybrid arrangements.
The Trump administration will either have to wait until the deal expires or try to renegotiate it.
Bargaining agreements between federal agencies and labor unions can only be challenged in court if they contain illegal terms or are the product of coercion, bribery, or other wrongdoing.
In some cases, federal agencies may be required to allow employees with disabilities to work remotely.
President Trump wasted no time on his first day signing a number of executive orders, including:
- Justice Department directed not to enforce TikTok 'sell or ban' law for 75 days
- Suspending 78 Biden-era executive actions
- Withdrawing from the Paris Climate Agreement
- End all federal lawsuits and investigations against Trump supporters
- Revoke protections for transgender troops
- Approximately 1,500 people criminally charged in the January 6 attack were pardoned, and six people had their sentences commuted.
- Overhaul the refugee admissions program to better align with American principles and interests.
- A national emergency is declared at the U.S.-Mexico border.
- Drug cartel and Torren de Aragua designated as foreign terrorist organizations
- Repeals several immigration orders by the Biden administration, including those that narrow deportation priority to those who have committed serious crimes, are considered a national security threat, or are stopped at the border.
- Reversing policies created by the Biden administration that sought to guide the development of AI to prevent abuse.
- Reversing a Biden-era policy that allowed federal agencies to undertake certain efforts to promote voter registration.
- Rescinds the 2021 Title IX order prohibiting discrimination on the basis of gender identity or sexual orientation in federally funded education programs.
- Biden to reverse recent removal of Cuba from US list of state sponsors of terrorism
- Orders federal employees to return to office work five days a week
- Order a federal hiring freeze with exceptions for positions related to national security, public safety, and the military.
- Direct all government departments and agencies to address the cost of living crisis
- Restore freedom of speech and prevent free speech censorship
- Ending the “weaponization of the government against the political opponents of the previous administration”
- A 25% tariff will be imposed on products from Mexico and Canada starting February 1st.
- Biden lifts sanctions on Israeli settlers in West Bank
- President Biden's reversal order calls for 50% of new cars sold in 2030 to be EVs
- Declare that there are two biological genders: male and female
- Ending diversity, equity, and inclusion programs within federal agencies
- Establishment of Government Efficiency Bureau
- Increased screening of visa applicants from certain high-risk countries
- Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge reopened to oil and gas exploration
- Orders the Attorney General, Secretary of State, and Secretary of Homeland Security to “take all appropriate steps to prioritize” the prosecution of illegal aliens who commit crimes.
- Withdrawing the United States from the Global Minimum Tax Agreement
- Suspends issuance of U.S. foreign aid for 90 days
- Directs the Attorney General to pursue the death penalty for capital crimes committed by murder of a law enforcement officer or illegal immigrant.
- Directs the Secretaries of Commerce and the Interior to resume efforts to transport water from California's Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta to other parts of the state.
- withdraw the United States from the World Health Organization
- Orders the Treasury Department to consider creating an External Revenue Service
- The security clearances of former National Security Adviser John Bolton and 51 other intelligence officials will be revoked because Hunter Biden's laptop contained “classic characteristics” of Russian disinformation.
- Declares the border crisis an “invasion” and orders the Attorney General and the Secretaries of State and Homeland Security to “take all appropriate measures to repel, repatriate, or remove alien persons involved in the border crisis.” do.
- The Gulf of Mexico will be officially renamed the “Gulf of America” and Mount Denali in Alaska will be officially renamed “Mount Denali.” McKinley”
Federal law requires employers to provide “reasonable accommodations” to workers with chronic illnesses so long as they are able to perform their jobs.
How many federal employees are working remotely?
President Trump's White House announced Monday that only 6% of federal employees are currently working in-person, but government data shows remote work is more limited.
According to a report released in August by the White House Office of Management and Budget, about 46% of federal employees, or 1.1 million people, are eligible for remote work, of which about 228,000 are fully remote. are.
The U.S. Department of Defense and Department of Veterans Affairs have far more employees than any other government agency, and along with the Department of Health and Human Services, have the most remote workers.
According to OMB, for federal employees who are eligible to work remotely, approximately 61% of their typical workday is spent in-person. This number does not include fully remote workers.
Why is President Trump against remote work?
President Trump's order may also be aimed at encouraging some federal employees to retire and freeing up positions for political allies to fill.
Elon Musk, who is set to lead a commission created by President Trump to rein in government spending, wrote in a Wall Street Journal op-ed on November 20 that he is encouraging federal employees to work from home, a “coronavirus-era solution.'' He said that salaries should not be paid in exchange for “privileges.”
“Requiring federal employees to come to work five days a week will result in a wave of voluntary resignations, which we welcome,” Musk wrote.
However, agencies may be wary of engaging in mass layoffs or layoffs, especially if they involve workers in critical roles or workers who are difficult to fill.
A fully staffed government agency will be needed to carry out President Trump's policies, including potentially eliminating thousands of federal regulations, coordinating numerous deportations, and overhauling U.S. health care policy.
Experts said Trump would likely have to choose between cutting the federal workforce or implementing other initiatives.
Can the president fire employees who resist return-to-duty obligations?
The president and agency heads have broad powers to fire nonunion workers for just cause, which could include failing to comply with orders to return to work.
However, federal employees must be given at least 30 days' written notice of termination, including an explanation of the reasons for termination and an opportunity to respond.
Federal employees who lose their jobs can then appeal and seek reinstatement with the Merit System Protection Board, an independent three-person commission appointed by the president.
Employees may argue to the board that they were not fired for cause, that the agency failed to follow proper procedures and violated their due process rights, or that they were targeted for discriminatory reasons. Can be done.
The Board's decisions are binding unless reversed by a federal court of appeals.
