Federal Employees Face Relocation Mandate to Washington, D.C.

In an unexpected development, the U.S. government's Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued an ultimatum to a group of federal employees working remotely, requiring them to relocate to Washington, D.C. This directive has raised concerns among labor unions and governance experts, who view it as a tactic to pressure federal workers into resigning.

According to reports, at least 200 remote employees received an email from OPM on February 27, notifying them that they have until March 7 to accept a relocation to the U.S. capital. The communication indicated that employees who choose not to move may face limited options for continued employment and could be subject to adverse actions, such as termination. Additionally, the memo mentioned the possibility of severance pay for those who decline the move.

This move stands out as it marks a shift in policy, as the current administration has previously focused on relocating Washington-based workers to more affordable regions. However, this is reportedly the first instance where remote employees have been mandated to move to Washington.

Experts, including Nick Bednar from the University of Minnesota Law School, have expressed that while agencies possess the authority to relocate employees, the short notice provided is unusual and appears designed to incentivize resignations. Bednar commented that this strategy seems aimed at reducing the size of the federal workforce.

The National Federation of Federal Employees (NFFE), which represents approximately 110,000 federal workers, has characterized this directive as an assault on civil service and a means to coerce employees into leaving their positions. The union indicated that this is the first instance they are aware of in which the current administration has ordered employees to relocate to Washington.

On the same day the relocation notice was sent, President Trump instructed government agencies to develop plans by April 14 for moving offices from the Washington area to regions with lower costs. This directive aligns with actions taken by the newly appointed FBI director, Kash Patel, who has initiated the relocation of about 1,500 employees to field offices across the country, including a significant number to Alabama.

The administration's efforts, spearheaded by President Trump and his advisor Elon Musk, are part of a broader initiative to streamline the federal workforce, which they consider excessively large and inefficient. While there is a bipartisan acknowledgment of the necessity for civil service reform, unions and many federal employees have criticized the administration's approach as overly aggressive.

Approximately 100,000 individuals from the federal civilian workforce, which comprises about 2.3 million employees, have been let go or have accepted buyouts under the current administration's policies. Recently, President Trump has also mandated further large-scale layoffs, with a recent memo instructing agencies to submit plans by March 13 for significant staffing reductions.