Washington’s Remote Work Era Ends: Federal In-Office Numbers Surge, Gallup Finds
President Trump’s return-to-office (RTO) mandate has driven a dramatic shift, with federal employees now twice as likely to work in the office compared to the national average.
- Trump’s RTO policy was designed to push federal workers out, prompting many to resign rather than return to distant or unfamiliar offices.
- The administration has also disregarded federal union contracts guaranteeing hybrid or remote work, stripping union rights from nearly 500,000 employees.
- Gallup’s Q2 2025 survey shows 46% of federal employees now work fully in-office, up nearly 30 points from last year.
- Nationwide, only 21% of workers in remote-capable jobs are fully on-site.
- Hybrid work remains prevalent outside government, with 51% of workers in hybrid arrangements.
Gallup surveyed 17,660 full- and part-time workers, focusing on those in remote-capable roles (about half), including 542 federal employees.
Trump’s RTO mandate has reshaped federal work culture, signaling a broader push against remote work in 2025.