Under heavy pressure from Republicans in Congress, and from the Democratic mayor of Washington, the Biden administration has been pressing federal agencies to get their staff back into the office.
But this pressure stands at odds with the just-released annual report by the Office of Personnel Management, based on fiscal 2022 data. The report clearly demonstrates that forcing federal employees to return to the office will dangerously undermine government performance. It will hurt retention, recruitment, engagement and productivity, while raising costs and harming the environment.
The report shows that 52 percent of federal employees were eligible for telework in 2022, and that a staggering 87 percent of those opted for telework. Moreover, federal employees aren't just open to telework; they're actively seeking it. That’s because telework offers a level of flexibility and autonomy that traditional office setups struggle to match.
Why do federal agency leaders support telework? The number one reason, cited by 62 percent of federal managers, is that telework serves as a primary tool for attracting talent. The modern federal workforce values flexibility as much as traditional incentives, if not more. A mandated return to the office will exacerbate the struggles experienced by the government in hiring staff.
Telework also has a profound effect on federal........