• Arizona's 13,000 federal employees have been ordered to return to in-person work through Donald Trump's Executive Order.
  • The new administration is betting some federal workers will choose to quit rather than comply, thereby reducing the size of the government through attrition.
  • Unions and other agencies are challenging this mandate.

One advantage of being a federal worker was job security. It was almost impossible to get fired once a worker held a federal position.

One disadvantage of employing federal workers was job security. Once hired, it was almost impossible to fire a worker holding a federal position.

All of that is about to change if Donald Trump's executive order stands up.

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Arizona's Remote Federal Workers Will Have to Return to the Office

Federal employees working remotely in Arizona face a dilemma: return to the office or face losing their jobs.

President Donald Trump signed an executive order freezing federal hiring and requiring federal employees to return to in-person work. The order essentially ends remote work. Some federal employees have enjoyed this arrangement since the pandemic lockdowns were in effect.

READ: How Will Trump's Illegal Immigration Crackdown Affect Arizona?

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The order instructs federal departments in Arizona and nationwide to "terminate remote work arrangements and require[s] employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis."

This is all part of the administration's newly formed Department of Government Efficiency, which aims to reduce the size and bloat associated with the U.S. Government.

Why Remote Work is Ending in Arizona

According to American Community Survey data, Arizona has around 118,000 federal workers, and almost 13,000 work remotely.

Trump's administration plans to end remote work to improve government efficiency and accountability. Returning to the office, they say, fosters better collaboration, oversight, and productivity.

Trump is also looking for ways to trim government costs, and one way is to reduce the federal workforce. He believes the current system is bloated and inefficient.

READ: Thank You, Zuckerberg! Free Speech Returns to Arizona?

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He's betting that requiring in-person work will spur some employees who refuse to comply with the new regulations to leave their positions. Rather than implementing mass firings or layoffs, federal workers may reduce their own numbers through attrition.

Agency Pushback

Federal agencies and government employee unions are already pushing back. Unions complain that Trump's mandate runs against collective bargaining agreements allowing employees to work from home.

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Time will tell if the new administration's bold move will reduce the size of the federal government effectively or create more red tape for everyone.

Sources: NBC New York | US News | NBC Washington | FedSmith | Defense One | NBC Washington | WGBH | Federal News Network | Axios

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