Nearly 60% of federal employees violated remote work requirements while taxpayers footed the bill for their salaries, a damning government watchdog report reveals.
Key Takeaways
- A government watchdog found “rampant abuse” of work-from-home policies among federal employees during the Biden administration
- 58.1% of sampled employees failed to meet minimum in-office work requirements in 2024, with nearly one-third having lapsed telework agreements
- OPM Acting Director Chuck Ezell cited “mismanaged” telework policies and “virtually nonexistent” oversight under the previous administration
- President Trump has since signed an executive order ending remote work and requiring federal employees to return to full-time office work by March 3
- New internal controls and compliance reviews have been implemented to prevent future abuses of taxpayer dollars
Widespread Telework Violations Exposed
A scathing report from the Office of Personnel Management’s Inspector General has uncovered extensive abuse of remote work policies by federal employees. The investigation, initiated following a 2023 request from Republican Senator Joni Ernst, revealed that 58.1% of sampled employees failed to meet minimum in-office work requirements in 2024. The report identified “compliance failures and weak internal oversight” as primary factors enabling this widespread violation of telework policies during the Biden administration.
The inspector general’s investigation analyzed badging data, timesheets, and remote-work agreements of federal employees, uncovering alarming statistics. Nearly one-third (29.7%) of employees had lapsed telework agreements, 21% showed paperwork discrepancies, and 15% completely lacked approved agreements. These findings point to a systematic breakdown in accountability that allowed federal workers to collect paychecks while potentially not fulfilling their obligations to taxpayers.
OPM Leadership Acknowledges Past Failures
OPM Acting Director Chuck Ezell has been direct about the failures that allowed such widespread abuse to occur. “Under the previous administration, OPMʼs telework and remote work policies were mismanaged and oversight was virtually nonexistent,” stated Ezell. This frank admission highlights how the Biden administration’s approach to federal workforce management created an environment where accountability was essentially optional, leaving taxpayers to fund what amounts to widespread policy violations.
“That era of telework abuse is over,” Ezell declared, signaling a dramatic shift in how the federal government monitors its workforce. The report suggests these compliance issues stemmed from a combination of weak management controls, negligence, or in some cases, potentially intentional fraud. These findings underscore the importance of President Trump’s decisive action to restore accountability to federal agencies.
A U.S. government watchdog found “rampant abuse” of work-from-home policies by federal workers, according to a new report released on Friday.
The Inspector General of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), which oversees the federal workforce, found “compliance failures and…
— Qᴀɢɢ.ɴᴇᴡꜱ (@qaggnews) June 21, 2025
Trump Administration Implements Strong Corrective Measures
President Trump has taken decisive action to address these abuses by signing an executive order to take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements. This order required federal employees to return to full-time, in-person work by March 3, with only limited exemptions determined by department heads. The measure represents a return to traditional accountability standards that ensure federal employees actually work for the taxpayers who fund their salaries.
“Under the previous administration, OPMʼs telework and remote work policies were mismanaged and oversight was virtually nonexistent,” said OPM Acting Director Chuck Ezell.
The return to in-office work has not been without challenges. Reports indicate that some returning employees faced cramped workspaces and inadequate facilities, with understaffed cleaning crews and poor office conditions in some locations. However, these temporary inconveniences reflect the Trump administration’s broader goal of cutting costs by reducing unnecessary space and staff while ensuring proper oversight of federal workers who serve at the pleasure of American taxpayers.
New Era of Accountability
In response to the findings, OPM has implemented new internal controls and compliance reviews specifically targeting teleworking employees. These measures reflect President Trump’s commitment to restoring proper management to federal agencies and ending the culture of lax oversight that characterized the previous administration. The changes signal a fundamental shift in how the federal government operates, with a renewed focus on accountability and respect for taxpayer dollars.
This report ultimately vindicates President Trump’s decision to end remote work for federal employees. By requiring federal workers to return to their offices, the administration has established clear lines of accountability and supervision that were demonstrably lacking during the remote work era. As the government continues to implement these reforms, American taxpayers can have greater confidence that their money is supporting actual work rather than subsidizing policy violations and potential fraud.
