Trump has promised to slash the federal budget. His ordering employees back to the office might cost him
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Trump has promised to slash federal spending through the Department of Government Efficiency. President Donald Trump signed an executive order Monday mandating all federal employees return to the office as part of his plans to slash federal spending - but it might not be that simple.
The first increased cost will be finding offices or desks for all the fully remote employees who never worked in person to begin with, government workplace expert Mika Cross told CNN. “The directive mandates that all executive branch departments and agencies end remote work arrangements and require employees to return to their respective duty stations,” Cross said. “However, by definition, [fully remote workers’] official worksite is their home office location. So they do not have offices to return to.”.
One given role in D.C. pays almost $19,000 more than the some role in Kentucky or Maine, Cross said. Another cited role pays $26,000 more. Agencies will also have to pay travel costs as workers return, CNN reports. If a worker who was fully remote now has to commute, they’re entitled to transit subsidies. Further, if their office is 50 miles or more from their home, they could also get temporary duty pay, lodging expenses and per diem expenses covered, according to CNN.
Another possibility, CNN reports, is that some federal workers may quit over the mandate. That could mean agencies would have to replace them (once Trump’s 90-day federal hiring freeze is lifted) and potentially incur costs throughout the hiring process.
