Echoing many business executives across the United States, returning President Donald Trump—with the backing of efficiency czars Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy—wants federal workers back in the office after several years of remote work spurred by the pandemic. For private employers, this will likely continue to be an uphill battle, given that lots of workers say they'd rather quit than return to old in-person work practices. But an incoming administration that wants to streamline the federal government may find that stubborn employees committed to working remotely ease the path to reducing payroll.
Come Back or You're Fired
"If people don't come back to work, come back into the office, they're going to be dismissed," Trump commented last month, referring to federal workers who've grown accustomed to working from home in the years since COVID-19 shuttered many offices.
