Presidential memorandum on return to in-person work: Implications for the federal workforce

Abstract On January 20, 2025, President Donald Trump issued a presidential memorandum that mandated all federal employees return to in-person work full time. Implementation guidance from the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) required rapid policy revisions. The order marks a sharp departure from prior federal telework policies, including longstanding efforts to expand flexible work as a tool for recruitment, retention, productivity, and inclusion. Contrary to claims that in-person work boosts efficiency, research shows remote work generally has no adverse impact on productivity and supports performance in both public and private sectors. The return-to-office mandate is likely to lead to turnover, particularly among highly skilled workers, creating risks of brain drain and diminished capacity to compete with the private sector for talent. It also threatens diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) efforts by disproportionately burdening women, caregivers, individuals with disabilities, workers of color, and LGBTQ+ employees. These changes, alongside parallel executive actions undermining DEI programs, reflect a broader return to traditional, centralized models of work built on outdated “ideal worker” norms. These changes have the potential to negatively reshape federal employment for years to come.