Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy have proposed that Donald Trump should require federal employees to return to the office five days a week as part of an initiative to reduce the federal workforce.
In a recent Wall Street Journal op-ed, they argued, “Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don’t want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn’t pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home.”
Trump has tapped both men to lead a new department focused on government efficiency, though neither has experience in public office. Musk and Ramaswamy also suggested that Trump would initiate “large-scale firings” and relocate federal agencies outside Washington.
Musk, who mandates in-person work at his companies SpaceX and Tesla, has called remote work a “moral issue.” He argued in 2023, “People should get off the godd**n moral high horse with the work-from-home bulls**t.”
While around 50% of federal workers aren’t eligible for telework, those who are spend about 60% of their work hours at in-person job sites, according to a report by the Office of Management and Budget. The same report suggests that telework rates in the federal sector align with those in private companies.
But union representatives argue the reality of federal work doesn’t support such proposals. Everett Kelley, president of the American Federation of Government Employees, explained that the notion that most federal employees are not working in-person is incorrect and not supported by actual data.
Some federal workers have raised concerns, saying a five-day mandate would disrupt their lives. One employee, who relocated during the pandemic, would face a costly move if forced to return to a D.C. office. Others cite long commutes as another obstacle. Additionally, work-from-home helps families with children save money on childcare.
