Among President Trump’s salvo of purposefully disruptive, power-grabbing and sometimes illegal and unconstitutional executive orders is one aimed at federal government workers who either work from home (telework) or have “hybrid” arrangements where they combine telework with coming into the office a few days each week. While this one has been largely lost in the explosion of Trump’s bumbling and chaotic output, it is important because it will have an adverse impact on more than a million federal employees, many government agencies and soon, the general public. The order mandates that all federal workers must be in their offices every day. Like so many of his edicts, this one neglects to consider the adverse consequences of his action. Not that he or his accomplices care. All that matters is the malice aforethought.
Telework arrangements, some of which date back a quarter century (see below), have produced very positive results:
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) originated telework options in the first years of the 21st century. Other government agencies observed what happened at PTO and subsequently launched similar programs. However, the majority of remote work schedule plans emerged during the pandemic. In some agencies, collective bargaining agreements with federal employee unions locked in telework options.
For most federal workers, the new requirement to show up in the office every day means getting into their cars every morning and commuting. But for others, it means a major upheaval and a costly one. It also presents a number of federal agencies with a huge real estate challenge.
PTO exemplifies both problems:
In 2002, PTO’s adoption of telework proved immediately successful. Productivity skyrocketed. Employees were happier. And the agency began considering how it might reduce real estate costs by downsizing the space required to perform its functions.
Several years into the program, PTO began allowing many employees to work from wherever their homes might be, no longer limiting them to the Washington, DC area. Over time, many PTO workers moved out of the DC region and relocated all over the U.S.
At the same time, the agency terminated its headquarters building lease in Arlington, Virginia and moved to a much smaller and less expensive space in Alexandria, Virginia.
It was a win-win for all concerned.
Trump’s executive order presents PTO and its workforce with huge problems. Unless given an exemption from it, employees must uproot themselves and their families and move back to the much more expensive Washington, DC area. Moreover, PTO must find space to accommodate its hundreds of teleworkers, an expensive proposition.
As is always the case with Trump, governing by impulse and whim overrides thoughtful consideration of any downsides. The only litmus test appears to be whether a policy passes the cruelty and meanness standard. Poking a finger in someone’s eyes is the thrill.
Dick Hermann
January 31, 2025
Telework arrangements, some of which date back a quarter century (see below), have produced very positive results:
- Morale. While unmeasurable, anecdotal evidence indicates that telework opportunities have greatly increased employee enthusiasm for their jobs and agencies.
- Talent attraction and retention. Employee quality improved and staff turnover rates declined.
- Productivity. Studies show productivity increases throughout agencies that offer telework options. One agency where productivity can be measured by the number of actions handled per individual per year witnessed a 25 percent increase in the first three years of its telework program.
- Cost of living. Many teleworkers were able to move farther out from their offices in expensive central cities and realize lower housing costs.
- Pollution. Fewer cars commuting meant lower emissions, with resulting health benefits.
- Agency costs. Less office space translated to reduced government real estate expenses.
The U.S. Patent & Trademark Office (PTO) originated telework options in the first years of the 21st century. Other government agencies observed what happened at PTO and subsequently launched similar programs. However, the majority of remote work schedule plans emerged during the pandemic. In some agencies, collective bargaining agreements with federal employee unions locked in telework options.
For most federal workers, the new requirement to show up in the office every day means getting into their cars every morning and commuting. But for others, it means a major upheaval and a costly one. It also presents a number of federal agencies with a huge real estate challenge.
PTO exemplifies both problems:
In 2002, PTO’s adoption of telework proved immediately successful. Productivity skyrocketed. Employees were happier. And the agency began considering how it might reduce real estate costs by downsizing the space required to perform its functions.
Several years into the program, PTO began allowing many employees to work from wherever their homes might be, no longer limiting them to the Washington, DC area. Over time, many PTO workers moved out of the DC region and relocated all over the U.S.
At the same time, the agency terminated its headquarters building lease in Arlington, Virginia and moved to a much smaller and less expensive space in Alexandria, Virginia.
It was a win-win for all concerned.
Trump’s executive order presents PTO and its workforce with huge problems. Unless given an exemption from it, employees must uproot themselves and their families and move back to the much more expensive Washington, DC area. Moreover, PTO must find space to accommodate its hundreds of teleworkers, an expensive proposition.
As is always the case with Trump, governing by impulse and whim overrides thoughtful consideration of any downsides. The only litmus test appears to be whether a policy passes the cruelty and meanness standard. Poking a finger in someone’s eyes is the thrill.
Dick Hermann
January 31, 2025
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