At the first caucus meeting of the Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), a Senate report revealed that only 6% of federal employees work in person full-time, exposing what critics describe as an unsustainable reliance on remote work.
The report, led by Sen. Joni Ernst (R-IA), detailed how nearly one-third of the federal workforce now operates entirely remotely, a stark shift from pre-pandemic norms. “Washington is still operating as if it’s March 2020,” Ernst remarked, pointing out that government offices average just 12% occupancy.
DOGE co-chair Elon Musk echoed Ernst’s concerns, noting that actual productivity may be even lower. In a social media post, Musk claimed, “If you exclude security guards & maintenance personnel, the number of government workers who show up in person and do 40 hours of work a week is closer to 1%!”
House Speaker Mike Johnson joined the criticism, calling the situation unacceptable. “The American people will not stand for this. Federal workers need to return to their desks,” he said, signaling that Congress will prioritize in-person work requirements under the new administration.
The report also highlighted financial misconduct tied to remote work. Some employees were found collecting inflated salaries by receiving locality pay for areas where they no longer reside. Ernst’s investigation revealed that some workers lived over 2,000 miles from their assigned offices, with one individual improperly collecting higher pay for nearly a decade.
As DOGE takes aim at inefficiencies within the federal workforce, the pressure is mounting for reforms to address absenteeism, abuse of pay systems, and the broader impact of remote work on government services.
