The Trump administration’s proposal to force federal employees back into the office full-time has sparked widespread debate and concerns about inefficiency and waste.
The plan, as articulated by entrepreneur and former presidential candidate Vivek Ramaswamy, is designed to shrink the federal workforce by compelling mass resignations through in-office work mandates.
Ramaswamy, whom President-elect Donald Trump has tapped to co-chair the new Department of Government Efficiency, or "DOGE," with Elon Musk, explained during an interview with Tucker Carlson that this strategy would reduce bureaucracy by making federal positions less appealing to those who prefer flexible work arrangements.
But this is a terrible idea. Far from increasing efficiency, it threatens to waste taxpayer dollars and undermine the government’s ability to serve the public effectively, as the latest Office of Management and Budget report suggests.
Carlson expressed skepticism that the federal workforce could be significantly reduced, noting that strong job protections make it difficult to fire federal employees outright. Ramaswamy dismissed these concerns, stating that the mass resignations would occur naturally if remote work privileges were rescinded. He suggested that this “radical idea” would lead to the voluntary departure of approximately 25 percent of federal workers, thereby reducing the payroll budget without the need for direct terminations.
“If you literally........