Biden Administration Pushes for More In-Person Work for Federal Employees

The Biden administration has instructed federal agencies to increase "meaningful" in-person work and return more employees to the office while continuing to allow telework when it does not hurt the agency's mission. The move comes amid heavy criticism from Republicans and D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser, who have urged the president to return federal workers to the office. However, federal unions have pressed to keep teleworking guarantees because most D.C. workers with remote access prefer to continue working from home. The new directive leaves agencies with wiggle room to continue letting their staffs work from home, but it also hints that productivity from teleworking staffs is now a priority.