A recent Senate investigation has spotlighted a stark reality: the federal workforce, once a bustling hive of activity, now feels more like a ghost town. Only 6% of federal employees work from an office full-time, while nearly a third are entirely remote. Even more troubling, it appears some of these so-called “remote workers” are hardly working at all. The findings come from a report authored by Sen. Joni Ernst, who humorously suggested that you’re more likely to spot a ghost than a bureaucrat haunting the empty halls of Washington’s government buildings these days.
Pre-pandemic, only 3% of federal employees teleworked daily. Fast forward to today, and only a meager 6% are consistently in the office. Meanwhile, taxpayers shell out $16 billion annually to maintain government office buildings that, on average, have an occupancy rate of just 12%. As if to underscore the absurdity, the head of the General Services Administration—responsible for managing federal real estate—telecommutes from her home in Missouri. And let’s not forget the Environmental Protection Agency’s office water supply, which sat stagnant so long it bred dangerous bacteria. Yes, the agency tasked with ensuring clean drinking water couldn’t even keep its own taps safe.
Unions, predictably, are doubling down. They insist on maintaining fully equipped workstations for each employee, even if those desks see less action than a closed theme park. They’re also adamant about keeping the work-from-home status quo, despite the clear inefficiencies. The irony isn’t lost on critics, like Ernst, who point out that some federal employees seem to have turned “work from home” into “work on something else entirely.” One Social Security Administration (SSA) employee, for instance, ran a home inspection business while allegedly working remotely, occasionally having his mother send emails to keep up appearances.
Despite calls for change, inertia reigns supreme. Elon Musk, co-chair of the incoming Trump administration’s Department of Government Efficiency, has suggested a simple solution: make employees return to the office—or let them quit. He argues this would result in a leaner, more efficient government. Even President Joe Biden, during his 2022 State of the Union address, insisted that federal employees needed to return to the office. Yet, in the twilight of his administration, Biden’s team signed a contract locking the SSA into telework through 2029, even after spending $120 million on office renovations for a building that’s now 91% unused.
The problems don’t stop there. Federal employees stationed in high-cost-of-living areas continue to collect inflated salaries, even though many have relocated to cheaper locales. Agencies claim they’ve implemented policies requiring employees to come into the office occasionally, but the reality suggests otherwise. Ernst’s report paints a picture of a bloated, unaccountable bureaucracy where unions, not elected officials, seem to call the shots. For taxpayers footing the bill, it’s another reminder that the federal government’s inefficiencies are alive and well—even if its employees aren’t showing up.
