White House asks agencies to step up workers' return to offices
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[April 14, 2023]
By David Shepardson
WASHINGTON (Reuters) -The White House on Thursday asked federal agencies
to revise workforce plans as it aims to "substantially increase"
in-person work by government employees at headquarters offices and
improve services, according to a memo seen by Reuters.
The memo to executive branch agencies from White House Office of
Management and Budget (OMB) director Shalanda Young directs agencies to
refresh work environment plans and policies.
"Consistent with trends over the last two years, plans should reflect
the expectation that agency headquarters and equivalents generally
continue to substantially increase meaningful in-person work in Federal
offices," the memo first reported by Reuters said.
President Joe Biden on Monday signed legislation ending the three-year
COVID-19 emergency. Many of the 2 million civilian federal employees
began working remotely in March 2020 but about half were required to
remain in-person throughout the pandemic.
OMB Deputy Director Jason Miller said in a blog post, "The guidance we
are releasing today directs agencies to refresh their Work Environment
plans and policies - with the general expectation that agency
headquarters will continue to substantially increase in-person presence
in the office - while also conducting regular assessments to determine
what is working well, what is not, and what can be improved."
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Apr/14/images/ads/current/burtonview_sda_SFARM_2023.png)
Some Republican lawmakers have pressed federal agencies to require more
government workers to return to offices.
Many of those offices are in the Washington, DC area.
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Office of Management and Budget (OMB)
Director Shalanda Young testifies before a Senate Budget Committee
hearing on President Biden's proposed budget request for fiscal year
2024, on Capitol Hill in Washington, U.S., March 15, 2023.
REUTERS/Jonathan Ernst
![](http://archives.lincolndailynews.com/2023/Apr/14/images/ads/current/debbies_lda_032222.png)
Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser, a Democrat, in January said the city
needs "decisive action by the White House to either get most federal
workers back to the office most of the time or to realign their vast
property holdings for use by the local government, by non-profits,
by businesses and by any user willing to revitalize it".
In February, the House of Representatives passed legislation to
mandate federal agencies reinstate 2019 pre-pandemic telework
policies, and require telework expansions be certified by the Office
of Personnel Management as having a positive effect on an agency's
mission and costs.
"It’s time for the federal workforce to get back to work in-person
for the American people. For years now, Americans have suffered
because of the federal government’s detrimental pandemic-era
telework policies," said Representative James Comer, who chairs the
House Oversight and Accountability Committee.
Miller said the directives are also aimed at ensuring that "American
people can easily and efficiently access critical government
services".
Aiming to cut long wait times and delays in processing federal
services, OMB's memo said: "Agencies should prioritize improving
experiences and services that directly impact the public."
(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis and Sonali
Paul)
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