Elon Musk, Vivek Ramaswamy Push to End Remote Work for Federal Employees.
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, appointed by US President-elect Donald Trump to lead the newly established Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), have proposed an end to remote work for federal employees as part of their strategy to create a leaner and more efficient government.
In a joint op-ed published in The Wall Street Journal, Elon Musk and Ramaswamy argued that requiring federal employees to work from the office five days a week would likely prompt widespread resignations, aligning with their goal to reduce the size of the government.
Despite a 2022 directive by President Joe Biden urging most federal employees to return to in-person work, a significant segment of the workforce has continued to operate remotely, a practice Musk and Ramaswamy have pledged to overhaul.
The DOGE leaders criticized the current system, describing it as an “antidemocratic” apparatus shielded by civil-service protections, which they argue burden taxpayers with unnecessary costs.
“The federal workforce has become an expensive, inefficient system that strains taxpayers while lacking accountability,” they wrote, emphasizing the need for sweeping reforms.
The move to end remote work aligns with the broader agenda to reduce government expenditure and bureaucracy.
Musk, known for his leadership at Tesla, SpaceX, and X, and Ramaswamy, a biotech entrepreneur and founder of Roivant Sciences, believe the return to in-office work will not only improve accountability but also lead to natural downsizing through voluntary exits.
The proposed shift has reignited debates on the future of work culture within the government, highlighting tensions between traditional work structures and modern, flexible practices that gained prominence during the pandemic.
