In a striking shift, federal employees are now clocking in at the office more than their private-sector counterparts, according to the latest April jobs report from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, as reported by The Washington Times. The data reveals that 81.8% of federal workers are physically present at their workplaces, compared to 79.2% of private-sector employees. This marks the lowest level of teleworking for government workers since the pre-COVID-19 era, signaling a significant return to in-person work.
The numbers paint a clear picture: only 8.5% of federal employees worked some hours from home, compared to 11% in the private sector. When it comes to full-time telework, the gap narrows, with 9.7% of federal workers and 9.8% of private-sector employees working entirely remotely. This shift comes as part of a broader push by the Trump administration to bring federal workers back to their desks, a move that has sparked both compliance and controversy.
The Push for In-Person Work
The return-to-office movement began with one of President Donald Trump’s first actions: signing the “Return to In-Person Work” executive order. This directive mandated that all federal departments and agencies end remote work arrangements and require employees to return to their physical workstations full-time. To enforce this policy, the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) announced on April 21 that it would monitor occupancy in federally leased buildings. The goal? To shrink the government’s real estate footprint by eliminating unused office space and ensure compliance with the president’s mandate.
White House spokesman Kush Desai emphasized the administration’s commitment, stating, “President Trump promised to make our federal government more accountable, transparent, and efficient. The Trump administration is delivering on this promise by making federal employees return to the office and better serve the American people.”
The push for efficiency doesn’t stop at office attendance. Led by Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency initiative, the federal workforce has undergone significant downsizing. According to The New York Times, over 56,000 federal workers have been laid off, 75,000 have accepted buyouts, and an additional 146,000 job cuts are planned. These reductions are flooding an already strained job market, leaving many federal employees with little choice but to comply with the return-to-office order to secure their positions.
A Grudging Return
While many federal workers have returned to the office, the transition has not been seamless. Employees, particularly at the Department of Defense, have voiced frustration. In interviews with USA Today, workers described overcrowded parking lots, cramped workspaces, and inadequate meeting and lunch areas in buildings that sat nearly empty for five years. One Defense employee, speaking anonymously, expressed a common sentiment: “We honestly get way more done at home than at the office, but those are facts and no one seems to want to know facts anymore.”
The employee argued that forcing workers back to the office could end up costing the government more than it saves, citing plummeting morale and inefficiencies. The return to in-person work has left some feeling that their productivity and well-being are being overlooked in favor of political priorities.
A New Era for Federal Work?
The return-to-office mandate reflects a broader effort to reshape the federal workforce, prioritizing physical presence and real estate efficiency. For supporters, it’s a step toward a leaner, more accountable government. For critics, it’s a one-size-fits-all policy that ignores the benefits of remote work and the realities of modern workplaces.
As federal employees settle back into their cubicles, the debate over productivity, morale, and efficiency continues. The April jobs report may show desks filled, but it also highlights a workforce grappling with change—one that’s navigating a new normal while questioning whether the office is truly where the work gets done.
