White House tells agencies to reconsider in-person government work plans

By David Shepardson

WASHINGTON (Reuters) – The White House on Thursday is issuing new guidance to federal agencies to revise government workforce plans as it aims to “substantially increase” in-person work by government employees at headquarters offices, according to a memo seen by Reuters.

The memo to executive branch agencies from White House Office of Management and Budget (OMB) director Shalanda Young directs agencies to refresh work environment plans and policies.

“Consistent with trends over the last two years, plans should reflect the expectation that agency headquarters and equivalents generally continue to substantially increase meaningful in-person work in Federal offices,” the memo said.

President Joe Biden on Monday signed legislation ending the three-year COVID-19 emergency. Many of the 2 million civilian federal employees began working remotely in March 2020 but about half were required to remain in-person throughout the pandemic.

OMB Deputy Director Jason Miller said in a blog post, “the guidance we are releasing today directs agencies to refresh their Work Environment plans and policies — with the general expectation that agency headquarters will continue to substantially increase in-person presence in the office — while also conducting regular assessments to determine what is working well, what is not, and what can be improved.”

He said the directives are also aimed at improving “customer experience and services — whether in-person, via phone, or online — so that the American people can easily and efficiently access critical government services.”

(Reporting by David Shepardson; editing by Jonathan Oatis)