Elon and Vivek’s First DOGE Move Puts 94% of Fed Workers in Hot Water
By Jake Beardslee ·
December 6, 2024
Senator Joni Ernst (R-Iowa) has proposed the REMOTE Act, a legislative measure aimed at examining federal employees' work-from-home practices and productivity. The proposed bill would require government agencies to conduct detailed reviews of remote workers' activities, including tracking the number of computer logins and time spent on federal networks, according to the Daily Mail.
According to Fox News, Ernst, chair of the Senate DOGE Caucus, has held discussions with Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy to present her proposals. Justin Pacheco / Gage Skidmore / Wikimedia
In a statement to Politico, Ernst emphasized the importance of accountability, saying, "The American people gave us a mandate to shake up business as usual in Washington and drain the swamp. That starts with getting the bureaucrat class to climb out of the bubble bath, put away the golf clubs, and get back to work." Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The proposed legislation comes in response to significant changes in federal workforce dynamics since the COVID-19 pandemic. According to Ernst's report, the federal workplace has undergone a dramatic transformation: while only 3% of federal employees worked remotely daily before the pandemic, currently just 6% report to work full-time in person, with nearly one-third working entirely remotely. Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Ernst highlighted several concerns about remote work practices. "Just 90 percent of eligible federal employees telework, with some coming to the office as infrequently as once a week," the report noted. Ivan Samkov / Pexels
The proposed bill seeks to address what Ernst describes as systemic accountability issues. She cited examples of alleged work misconduct, including one instance of a federal worker conducting a remote meeting from a bathtub and another case of an IRS employee who reportedly played golf during work hours for nearly a decade. Tima Miroshnichenko / Pexels
Specific concerns include potential productivity losses and geographic pay discrepancies. The report suggests that some federal workers may manipulate their reported work locations to receive higher salaries, contrary to federal regulations. MART PRODUCTION / Pexels
Particularly notable is the situation at the Department of Housing and Urban Development, where over 90% of employees work from home, typically requiring only one in-office day per week. U.S. Government / Wikimedia
Ernst argues that the current approach lacks proper oversight, stating, "Washington is still operating as if it's March 2020. The headquarters of most agencies remain largely abandoned. Government employees are scattered and often unreachable." Lily Smith/The Register / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
The proposed REMOTE Act would mandate comprehensive reporting on remote work effectiveness, with the potential consequence of requiring employees to return to in-person work if productivity cannot be demonstrated. Polina Kovaleva / Pexels
