Ars Technica
All federal agencies ordered to terminate remote work—ideally within 30 days
US agencies wasting billions on empty offices an “embarrassment,” RTO memo says.
https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2025/01/all-federal-agencies-ordered-to-terminate-remote-work-ideally-within-30-days/?utm_brand=arstechnica&utm_social-type=owned&utm_source=mastodon&utm_medium=social
All federal agencies ordered to terminate remote work—ideally within 30 days

US agencies wasting billions on empty offices an “embarrassment,” RTO memo says.

Ars Technica
Jan 23, 2025 at 9:29pmArsBot 🤖
Show threadT2RJan 23, 2025
@arstechnica Then these morons should save money and SELL the office space or rent it out.
Show threadAlexanderMarsJan 23, 2025
@T2R @arstechnica or convert it to free housing.
Show threadT2RJan 23, 2025
@AlexanderMars @arstechnica Converting office space to housing is wildly expensive to do. Different regs, and lots of things to install like plumbing. It's cheaper to build new or to refurbish existing habitable structures.
Show threadMike RJan 23, 2025
@T2R @arstechnica I know for a fact that agencies have been downsizing their office leases for at least 6 years (certainly since COVID). These agencies no longer have enough space for everyone to be in the office all at the same time. So now they need to scramble and fight each other to lease more space at likely jacked up prices.
Show threadT2RJan 23, 2025
@appsec4one @arstechnica True and of course that's going to waste a TON of taxpayer dollars. It's yet another trumpian real estate scam. I wonder if doge will call it out (yes I'm being sarcastic).
Show threadSimon ZerafaJan 23, 2025

@T2R @arstechnica

It's more about commercial property values than staff being more efficient.

The costs of an employee in terms of infrastructure in an office is much higher than them working from home.

I'm sure many will find work elsewhere.

Show threadbirdpoofJan 23, 2025

@simonzerafa @T2R @arstechnica

Downsizing employees is ALSO a goal, so win-win for Republicans.

Show threadBradley StowersJan 23, 2025
@arstechnica Continuing to waste money on unneeded real estate is an embarrassment.
Show threadDr. Fortyseven 🥃 █▓▒░Jan 23, 2025
@arstechnica Or... close the offices. Or is that too big brain an idea?
Show threadTrixter of the Moon CouncilJan 23, 2025
@fortyseven But all those landlords need their rents! Won't someone please think of the landlords?
Show threadBee O'Problem Jan 23, 2025
@arstechnica THEN SELL THE OFFICES YOU IDIOTS!
Show threadZorin =^o.o^=Jan 23, 2025

@arstechnica So which is it? He wants people to come back to work in person but also wants to dismantle departments and fire people?

This guy needs to make up his mind.

Show threadMatthew MartinJan 23, 2025
@arstechnica Offices will need to be built. RTO doesn't save money, those costs are sunk. It triggers new costs as the government catches up with building offices. Prepandemic, offices were overcrowded.
Show threadThomas P. MoonisJan 23, 2025
@arstechnica The goal is to force federal employees to quit so that their positions can be left vacant.
Show threadBodhipaksaJan 23, 2025

@arstechnica

"wasting billions on empty offices..."

And yet the cost of the offices will not change if there are more workers there.

Show threadCormacJan 23, 2025
@arstechnica Somebody is pushing to recreate his pandemic of 2020 but this time without Dr Fauci to take all the credit for handling it.
Show threadRobCampbellJan 23, 2025
@arstechnica wouldn’t it be more cost effective to down size the offices instead?
Show threadflamepanther ☢️Jan 23, 2025
@arstechnica
Can you tell we have a landlord for a president yet?
Show threadNaoJan 24, 2025
@arstechnica This orange gibbon is so incredibly proud of being able to write his own name that he has to show it off everywhere. Congrats!
Show threadÉmile DurkheimJan 24, 2025
@arstechnica you will have to remove remote work from my cold dead hands. I ain't going back to an office to sit in front of a computer just so that some landlord can justify his rent.
Show threadDKMJJan 24, 2025
@arstechnica Accounting can be used to argue for literally anything