Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy suggest DOGE will stop working from home for federal employees

Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy The federal government ended the work-from-home privilege for federal employees on Wednesday as part of its effort to shrink the size of government.

Last week, newly elected President Donald Trump had entrusted two entrepreneurs with the task of leading the newly formed “Department of Government Efficiency” (DOGE)It is suggested in A Wall Street Journal op-ed Ending remote work would lead to mass resignations that would help him achieve his goal of a smaller, more efficient government.

“Requiring federal employees to come into the office five days a week will result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome,” Musk and Ramaswamy wrote.

“If federal workers don’t want to attend, American taxpayers shouldn’t have to pay for the COVID-era privilege of staying home,” he said.

According to the Office of Management and Budget, about 1.1 million federal employees — about half of the government’s civilian workforce — are eligible for telework.

About 228,000 employees, or 10% of civilian personnel, work entirely remotely, with “no expectation that they will work in person (on any regular or recurring basis),” the agency said in a report. August 2024 report,

This report was released two years after President Biden 2022 State of the Union Address, Announced that “the vast majority of federal employees will once again work in-person.”

Musk, the billionaire owner of SpaceX, Tesla and Is. agencies outside the Washington area” and eliminating remote work.

Both individuals revealed that DOGE plans to work with underlying appointees at the agencies to identify the minimum number of staff needed for the agency to “perform constitutionally permitted and statutorily mandated functions.”

Musk and Ramaswamy said that laid-off federal employees “will be treated with respect” and that “DOGE aims to help support their transition to the private sector.”

“The President can use existing laws to provide them incentives for early retirement and voluntary severance payments to facilitate an honorable exit,” he said.