'It’s in a lot of labor contracts': Trump's plans for gov't workers headed for brick wall

Summary

Donald Trump’s proposed mandate to end federal telework and fire non-compliant employees faces major obstacles, including widespread union contracts protecting remote work.

About 56% of federal workers are covered by collective bargaining agreements, many of which include telework provisions.

Additionally, a record 10% of federal jobs are fully remote, and many agencies lack sufficient office space to accommodate full-time in-office work due to post-pandemic real estate reductions.

Critics argue that enforcing this mandate would be costly, contradicting Trump’s goals to reduce government spending and personnel.