Bureaucrats in Washington D.C. are “in tears” after the new Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) co-leader Vivek Ramaswamy declared all federal employees to return in-person to the office at the beginning of the Trump administration.

President-elect Donald Trump decided to created a new department to be led by Ramaswamy and Elon Musk with the purpose to “slash excess regulations, cut wasteful expenditures, and restructure Federal Agencies.”  To begin this revamp of the federal bureaucracy, Ramaswamy declared that all federal staffers must return to in-person work at all times.

“I’m hearing via allies that federal government unions are scrambling to update their collective bargaining agreements to avoid getting fired,” Ramaswamy posted on X. “The prospect of being asked to return to the office 5 days per week like most working Americans apparently has them ‘in tears.’”

According to a report from the nonpartisan Government Accountability Office, over a 3-week sample period from January through March 2023, 17 out of 24 federal agencies used 25% or less of their headquarters buildings’ capacity.  From that same sample, the best agency still did not use more than 50% of their building space.

Federal labor unions are scrambling to save telework including the EPA trying to extend a labor agreement “for remote work, telework, and flexible work schedules.”

During a recent interview with NBC, Democratic D.C. Mayor Muriel Bowser has requested a sit down with President-elect Trump to advocate the need for federal workers to return to the office.

“How we can make sure that our federal workforce is back to work is one big thing,” Bowser said. “We need partners that help return the vibrancy of downtown Washington and what I like to call — my staff doesn’t like it when I say this — the majesty of the federal government.”