In a recent development, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has responded to a request from Republican Sen.
Joni Ernst of Iowa, revealing a staggering 500% increase in telework within the federal government during the Biden administration.
According to the Daily Caller, Ernst had written to 24 government agencies in August 2023, seeking a comprehensive review of the issues associated with telecommuting. However, several agencies under the Biden administration declined to provide the necessary data. Ernst, in conversation with the DCNF, contrasted this with the approach of the Trump administration.
"While the Biden administration slow walked releasing the data to hide the true extent of telework abuse, the Trump administration has made a commitment to transparency in addition to getting bureaucrats back to work, Ernst stated.
The OPM's response to Ernst, penned by Deputy Inspector General Norbert E. Vint, attributed the delay in initiating the investigation to staffing issues within the agency. The OPM's report disclosed a 528% surge in remote work from fiscal year 2019 to fiscal year 2024.
The report also highlighted several issues, including the absence or expiration of telework agreements for 45.1% of workers, failure to address 21.1% of discrepancies within four months, and non-compliance with the agency's remote work policies in 8.1% of timesheets. The OPM further confessed that 58.1% of employees on telework agreements did not meet in-office work requirements based on "badging data."
Chuck Ezell, OPM acting Director, criticized the lack of oversight and accountability in the Biden administration's work-from-home policies. From missing agreements to inaccurate time reporting and failure to enforce in-office policies, these findings confirm even basic compliance measures were routinely ignored. Thats why, under President Trumps leadership, OPM immediately ended remote work to rebuild a culture of responsibility and results, Ezell told the DCNF.
In response to these issues, President Trump issued an executive order on Jan. 20, mandating agencies to terminate remote work arrangements and requiring employees to work in-person full-time. This order came roughly six weeks after Ernst released a damning report on the impact of telework on the federal government.
Ernst's report, released on Dec. 5, exposed widespread telework and locality pay abuses under the Biden administration, leading to largely vacant government buildings. It should come as no surprise that those setting telework policy under Joe Biden were some of the worst abusers of it, Ernst told the DCNF.
Ernst also highlighted the efforts made in collaboration with the Trump administration to bring out-of-office bureaucrats back to work. Were right-sizing the federal governments portfolio of vacant and underutilized buildings that cost billions every year, Ernst added. DOGE is a lifestyle, and we must constantly look for ways to increase efficiency in Washington and save tax dollars!
Ernst's report also detailed the issues created by telework involving locality pay, a compensation adjustment for federal employees to ensure parity with their private-sector counterparts in a given area, and the impact of largely vacant office buildings on the work environment.
Kiran Ahuja, the director of OPM during the Biden administration when Ernst requested the review, has not yet responded to the DCNF's request for comment. This story underscores the importance of transparency and accountability in government operations, particularly in the context of telework policies and their potential for abuse.
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