President Trump Signs First-Day Executive Orders to End Work from Home Policies and Freeze Hiring for Federal Work Force

On January 20, President Trump, in a series of first-day executive actions, signed an Executive Order (EO) titled “Return to In-Person Work” that requires all federal workers to return to in-person work “as soon as practicable”. This decision comes after the House Oversight Committee held a hearing on The Stay-at-Home Federal Workforce: Another Biden-Harris Legacy on January 15 to investigate the implications of the federal work from home policy. During the hearing, Republican members of the committee expressed concerns that federal policies like the work from home policy were infringing on the power of the Presidential Administration, a concern that has been previously expressed by other committees (see previous COSSA coverage).  

In addition, Trump signed a Hiring Freeze into effect, restricting the ability of federal agencies to fill existing vacancies or create new positions. This freeze further directed the Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) alongside the Administrator of the United States DOGE Service (USDS) to submit a plan within 90 days to reduce the size of the Federal Government’s workforce. However, Trump has included exceptions, citing, “this memorandum does not prohibit making reallocations to meet the highest priority needs, maintain essential services, and protect national security, homeland security, and public safety.” This exception is not likely to affect the key agencies for the social and behavioral science research communities. It also does not affect positions requiring Presidential appointment or Senate confirmation.  

Stay tuned to COSSA’s coverage for all the details as the new Administration takes shape over the coming weeks.