“Those who ignored President Trump’s executive order to return to work have now received over a month’s warning,” Musk said in a post Monday. “Starting this week, those who still fail to return to office will be placed on administrative leave.”
Trump on his first day in office ordered all heads of departments and agencies to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements,” and require all employees to return in-person to their offices.
The
Trump’s mandate creates some exceptions for those with a “disability, qualifying medical condition, or other compelling reason certified by the agency head.” Military spouses working civilian jobs are also exempt.
Musk’s missive follows a directive sent over the weekend asking all federal employees to reply to an email detailing what they accomplished last week in five bullet points. Musk said on X that failure to answer the request would signal a resignation, though OPM has said it’s up to agency heads to determine any next steps. Some agencies, including the FBI and Department of Defense, instructed workers to not reply to the email.
WATCH: Elon Musk wants workers to justify their jobs. Source: Bloomberg
Earlier:
Data from the Office of Management and Budget show that about 10% of the workforce is permanently remote — including disabled workers with a documented accommodation, military spouses and those where the nature of the work is mobile.
Federal telework guidelines long predate the national emergency that Trump declared in March 2020 during the Covid-19 pandemic. Under the Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, agencies were required to adopt remote work policies that encouraged many employees to work from home.
Many unions also have agreements in place for remote work, which could complicate Trump’s orders for employees to come to offices.
The White House has signaled the return to office mandate could lead to significant reductions in the federal workforce.
“We think a very substantial number of people will not show up to work, and therefore our government will get smaller and more efficient,” Trump said last month. “And that’s what we’ve been looking to do for many, many decades, frankly.”
Since then federal employees had also been offered buyout plans that promised they would get paid through September if they left in February. About 75,000 workers took the deferred resignation deal, according to OPM.
--With assistance from
To contact the reporter on this story:
To contact the editors responsible for this story:
Megan Scully
© 2025 Bloomberg L.P. All rights reserved. Used with permission.