Posted on 01/28/2025 7:04:46 PM PST by Mariner
President Donald Trump's administration asked federal agencies to implement plans to return federal workers to the office — including making arrangements for those who live too far away for a regular commute.
On Monday, the Office of Personnel Management and the Office of Management and Budget issued new guidance that expanded on an RTO executive order for federal workers originally issued on January 20.
Specifically, the memo asked agencies to "determine permanent worksites" for employees who have been working remotely full time and include "the steps the agency will take to move these employees' duty stations to the most appropriate Federal office based on the employees' duties and job functions."
While returning to the office may be more straightforward for workers who live nearby, the memo also asked agencies to provide a description that justifies why employees who live more than 50 miles from existing worksites should receive relocation benefits.
(Excerpt) Read more at yahoo.com ...
Since this has not yet been covered in this thread—most DC federal employees work in buildings within a few blocks of metro stops.
Buy them out for 6 months pay and their resignations if they want to stay home. Encourage them all to quit.
So?
Nobody is forcing them to work in cities.
If they don’t like the commute, they can find another job somewhere else, just like the rest of us.
Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary.
It sounds like a remote worker who lives more than 50 miles from the office may be accommodated at a federal office closer to home.
“RTO carries some unintended consequences:
1) Increased traffic congestion.
2) Increased fuel consumption >> increased demand >> higher prices.”
POOR BABIES.
Some ‘remote workers’ may have never even lived in the DC area. They could be living on the other side of the country, and they might’ve been hired as ‘remote workers’ from the beginning.
‘Remote work’ doesn’t even mean they’re working from home. Some “remote jobs” require working outside, for example.
Require them to take public transportation, problems solved! 😂😂😂
Remote workers were hired with the intention that they never come into a regular office for work. There are many reasons for these hires but often it is because the hiring agency or department does not have physical space for the employee.
Teleworkers are different in that they were hired to be in an office full or part time but were allowed to sometimes work at home for certain reasons (very long commutes - 50+ miles one way or more, good performance reviews etc). Telework usually was earned until COVID when it was temporarily granted to many more people. Partial (hybrid) telework was used as a reward, as a safety issue and as a practical matter it was used to help ease overcrowding and traffic. I can’t speak for other agencies but in DOD where I used to be, it was not uncommon to have people working at a post who had very long commutes (mine was over two hours each way). For many their jobs had relocated or realigned to posts further away from where they originally worked and in order to keep these people on board, they were given 1 or 2 days a week to telework. This helped both the employee and the agency which retained their experience instead of having to hire and train someone new.
We will probably find out how many federal “workers” are living in the Florida Keys or in the Virgin Islands.
Allowing remote work has been terribly abused and many are being paid DC “cost of living” adjustments to salary which are fraudulent. MAKE THEM PAY BACK THOSE EXTRAS !
Oh no! Who will pick the crops!
This is a perfect way to trim the fat!
Work in D.C., but moved to Virginia? Commute is now too far?
Fine. We’ve found an office that’s suitable for your job....in Detroit.
They moved when remote work was granted..F’ em all and fire those who won’t return... No loss anyway.
No it’s not. Someone who relocates because they’re remote working is not the agencies fault. They authorize the remote working not the location and remote work authorization can be reminded at anytime.
Recinded not reminded.
I worked for 10 years at a job where I lived 48 miles away. Never stayed home and drove every day and never complained nor thought about moving closer. It was my choice. Better schools for my kids (until younger ones went to private) and I hate living in an urban area.
No way! Back in MY day, we didn’t get no stinkin’ relocation benefits. When they called us back to the office, we hitched up the donkeys to the cart, loaded a cadboard box with all our effects in it, and we traveled there in the burning sun all the way!
And we LIKED it!
Working in DoD contracts in a foreign country???
Get your @$$ back to the office. In AMERICA!
The thing is, traffic WILL NOT increase that much. My current job is remote (FL), but I started on-site in Silver Spring, MD to get some office experience first. One thing I learned there, is that DC area traffic was even WORSE than when I left MD in 2021. The reason for that was, as some people settled into working remote or teleworking, some who still commuted saw an opportunity to stop taking the bus or train and use their cars instead, clogging the roads.
As more people go back to the office, the traffic may temporarily worsen, but more people will go back to the bus or train. It will even out in the end.
DC Dormatories
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