Trump's Executive Order Forces Federal Workers Back to Office

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order mandating a return to the office for federal workers, reversing remote work trends from the COVID-19 pandemic. This initiative aims to overhaul the civil service and is accompanied by a hiring freeze and creation of the Department of Government Efficiency.

President Donald Trump has signed an executive order demanding that federal workers resume in-office duties five days a week. The announcement came Monday in front of an applauding crowd at Washington's Capital One Arena.

The order contravenes a prevalent trend initiated during the COVID-19 pandemic, which saw numerous white-collar government employees transition to remote work. Some allies of Trump have interpreted this mandate as a strategy to facilitate the replacement of established civil servants with staunch loyalists.

The decree includes a hiring freeze and establishes an advisory unit, the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), aimed at downsizing the federal government. Tesla CEO Elon Musk, chairing DOGE, suggested this could prompt voluntary resignations. Despite these sweeping moves, union agreements may exclude some from the order.

(With inputs from agencies.)