Only 6% of federal workers show up in person on full-time basis

A recent Senate report reveals that only 6% of federal workers are reporting to their offices full-time, a significant decline from pre-pandemic levels where only 3% teleworked daily. The investigation, led by Senator Joni Ernst, highlights that nearly one-third of federal employees are now working remotely full-time. Ernst criticized the current state of federal office occupancy, noting that government buildings average only 12% occupancy. She plans to present her findings to Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy. The report also points out that some federal employees are improperly benefiting from locality pay while working remotely, with many living far from their official work locations. Ernst's office collaborated with Open the Books, a transparency advocacy group, and found that no government agency occupies more than half of its office space. The report includes anecdotes of inefficiency, such as a whistleblower report at the FDA going unread for months and a VA manager photographed working while taking a bubble bath. Ernst proposes several solutions, including spreading the workforce geographically and tying remote work permissions to performance. The findings have drawn criticism from lawmakers, including House Speaker Mike Johnson, who called the situation "absurd."

- Only 6% of federal workers are in the office full-time, a drastic change from pre-pandemic levels.

- The report indicates that federal office buildings are underutilized, averaging only 12% occupancy.

- Ernst's investigation found issues with locality pay for remote workers, with many living far from their official offices.

- Anecdotes of inefficiency in federal agencies were highlighted, including unread whistleblower reports.

- Proposed solutions include geographic distribution of the workforce and performance-based remote work permissions.