Federal workers worry about coming cuts under DOGE, some may quit

The incoming Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE) under President-elect Donald Trump, which is led by entrepreneurs Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, is proposing to target remote government jobs. As a result, federal employees are experiencing anxiety about the real possibility of losing their jobs, according to interviews given to CNN. Some of these workers said DOGE might just be a signal for them to quit, claiming that losing the ability to work remotely would "upend their lives."

"The stress would be through the roof," one employee told the network, who wished to remain anonymous but revealed that he has worked for the General Services Administration for the past 10 years. "I am at the point where if I had to commute, I would resign. I would take this as a sign to move on and start a new chapter in my life."

The elimination of remote work in the federal government is being considered as a potential "early candidate" for executive orders that DOGE members will recommend to Trump. The role of DOGE is to save costs for the federal government by cutting wasteful expenditures, slashing excess regulations, and restructuring federal agencies to be more cost-efficient. Musk and Ramaswamy published an op-ed in The Wall Street Journal on Wednesday, detailing their intentions to reform the government and addressing remote work. The duo wrote, "Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don't want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn't pay them for the Covid-era privilege of staying home."

It is currently not mandatory for all federal employees to report to the office for a five-day workweek, and each agency has its own remote policies in place. According to data from the Office of Personnel Management, remote work has been authorized for 1.3 million federal employees. Federal remote employees, particularly those with children and who work out of state or live hours away from Washington, DC, said the proposed idea would upend their lives.

"I can't abandon this career," another person who lives in the Midwest and works in the Library of Congress told CNN on the condition of anonymity. "I would be forced to move back to Washington, DC, even if it means separating my family."
 

Everett Kelley, national president for the American Federation of Government Employees, a union representing more than 800,000 federal workers, told CNN that the proposed cuts to remote work are "simply not backed up by data and reality." He added: "When it comes to changes in working conditions that could impact union contracts, AFGE takes the position that such changes must be negotiated with the union through the normal collective bargaining process."

Musk and Ramasway are currently in the process of identifying all potential areas within the federal government where they could potentially reduce spending, a source familiar with the matter told the network. Ramaswamy, a tech billionaire and former Republican 2024 presidential candidate, is reportedly responsible for developing the legal justification for the cuts they would be proposing.