Only 6% of federal workers show up to the office full-time
- A report indicates that only 6% of federal workers are present at work full-time, while nearly one-third are working remotely full-time.
- Senator Joni Ernst criticized the federal workforce's low in-person attendance and highlighted unnecessary costs associated with maintaining federal office spaces.
- Proposals for change include measures to monitor employee locations and adjust remote work permissions based on performance.
In a report from Senator Joni Ernst's office, it was revealed that only 6% of federal employees are working on-site full-time, contrasting sharply with pre-pandemic figures where only 3% teleworked daily. This significant shift in workforce dynamics reflects a broader trend towards remote work, where nearly one-third of federal workers are now fully remote. Senator Ernst underscored the issue by highlighting the low occupancy rates in government buildings, averaging just 12%. The senator criticized President Biden for spending a vast amount of time away from the White House and described the capital as a 'ghost town'. The report also mentioned that the Biden administration has been opaque about the work locations of many federal employees, raising concerns about accountability. Ernst collaborated with Open the Books, a non-profit organization, exposing potential inefficiencies and accountability issues in the federal workforce. Additionally, the report highlighted serious financial implications, stating that federal office leasing and maintenance costs total approximately $15.7 billion annually. As the inquiry progressed, Ernst also pointed out alarming instances where teleworking employees were allegedly receiving locality pay benefits that did not correspond to their actual work locations. The investigation indicated that a significant number of federal teleworkers lived over 50 miles away from their designated offices, with some living as far as 2,000 miles. It was estimated that between 23% to 68% of teleworking employees were incorrectly collecting higher pay rates based on locality pay, even though they weren't located in those areas. The existence of these practices has led to a sense of unfairness among employees who do report to their physical offices. Federal employee unions have become another point of contention as they push back against initiatives aimed at increasing in-person work, citing collective bargaining agreements as a limiting factor. The National Treasury Employees Union has asserted that the current guidance does not disrupt existing remote work arrangements for the majority of workers represented. To address the growing concern over federal absenteeism, Ernst proposed several targeted reforms, including a