U.S. Federal Agencies Push for More In-Person Work

What’s going on:   

The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the U.S. Transportation Department are urging their teleworking employees to increase their in-person work presence, according to Reuters. This move is part of the Biden administration’s broader initiative to boost in-person work in federal offices, following the end of the three-year COVID-19 emergency. The FAA expects agency employees who are regularly teleworking to be in offices at least three days per week starting from October 9. Similarly, the Transportation Department has set a minimum in-person work requirement for its teleworking employees.

Why it matters:    

This heavy push by federal agencies towards in-person work marks a big departure from the remote working model that was widely adopted during the pandemic. It reflects the government’s desire to restore agencies to pre-pandemic work norms. For federal agency employees, this transition could mean making adjustments to the new work environment.  

How it’ll impact the future:      

The push for more in-person work could influence other federal agencies, organizations, and businesses within the workforce. Other agencies will likely reevaluate their own remote work policies and this could impact the flexibility that many employees have enjoyed during the pandemic. This kind of change could also impact employee productivity, collaboration, and employee satisfaction, which in turn could influence recruitment and retention strategies within these agencies.  

Beyond federal agencies, this move could set a precedent for other sectors considering a return to in-person work. It could stimulate discussions around the benefits and drawbacks of remote work versus in-person work, influencing how organizations structure their work models in the post-pandemic era.