Topline
The White House will ask that all employees return to the office for in-person work in July, a source confirmed to Forbes Tuesday, a step that comes as many businesses across the country and the rest of the federal government weighs when and how to bring back their employees after more than a year of remote work.
U.S. President Joe Biden delivers remarks on the COVID-19 response and vaccination program as Vice ... [+]
Getty ImagesKey Facts
White House employees received a memo from the office of Management and Administration instructing them to “transition to full time on campus work during the window of July 6 to July 23," Axios first reported.
Employees with an “extenuating circumstance” can request to continue working from home.
Last month—after the Centers for Disease Control loosened its guidance on masks—the White House sent an advisory to employees stating that a “maximum telework” policy remained in place.
Key Background
Most White House employees—about 80-90%—have been working from home since President Joe Biden took office in January, the source estimated to Forbes. On January 25, the Office of Management and Budget urged employees to make “every effort” to work remotely and restricted the number of workers allowed in federal buildings to 25%. The staffing arrangement was a departure from the Trump administration, which had more employees working in-person. About 60% all federal employees reported working remotely during the “peak of the pandemic” last year in the 2020 Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey. In April 2020, Trump called on agencies to begin drafting plans for workers to return to the office.
What To Watch For
How other federal agencies bring back their employees. The Biden administration has been working on plans to permanently offer remote work for federal employees, the Washington Post reported in May. This month, the White House will release guidance about how agencies can return to the office, and continue to offer hybrid work options so employees can work remotely and in person. Last fall, more than two dozen people tied to the White House, including the former president and former First Lady Melania Trump, contracted Covid-19.
Chief Critic
“COVID-19 cases are plummeting across the country and it’s past time for the federal workforce to return to their places of work,” Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.), the highest ranking Republican on the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee, said last month. “Prolonged remote work is harming Americans’ access to federal agencies and is costing taxpayers.”
Big Number
2.1 million. That’s how many employees work for the federal government.
Further Reading
Biden administration moves toward making the pandemic work-from-home experiment permanent for many federal workers (Washington Post)
The Link LonkJune 01, 2021 at 10:40PM
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White House Staff To Return For In-Person Work In July - Forbes
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