- The SEC has mandated full-time in-office work for all its staff starting April 14. The SEC’s employee union plans to challenge, citing contract violations.
- The order follows a Trump administration directive to eliminate remote work in federal agencies.
- The White House is pushing federal agencies to reduce workforce sizes and relocate offices while also following the RTO mandate.
The US Securities and Exchange Commission has ordered all staff to return to the office full-time starting April 14, as the Trump administration moves to reduce remote work across federal agencies.
Ending Remote Work
The SEC full-time RTO mandate was sent to all employees by email, according to Bloomberg.
The directive, issued by the SEC’s chief operating officer, applies to the agency’s unionized workforce. It also allows limited exceptions for employees with pre-approved remote work arrangements or those located more than 50 miles from an SEC office.
This latest move aligns with a broader effort by the Trump administration to reduce the federal workforce, cut agency spending, and eliminate post-pandemic remote work for federal agencies.
On his first day in office, President Trump ordered agencies to phase out telework. On Wednesday, the White House instructed departments to submit plans by March 13 for large-scale workforce reductions and office relocations to lower-cost regions.
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Union Pushback, Legal Challenges
The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU), which represents SEC employees, vowed to fight the mandate, calling it a clear contract violation.
The union informed members that it would file a formal grievance while advising workers to comply with the order in the meantime.
“This action by SEC management plainly violates the contract it entered into with you, its union-represented employees, and it violates the law,” the union wrote in a message to members.
The SEC’s contract with the union, signed in 2023, explicitly allows remote work. However, an SEC spokesperson said the return-to-office mandate follows guidance from the Office of Personnel Management and aligns with the presidential memorandum.
Federal Agencies Face Reckoning
The SEC is just one of many federal agencies facing drastic changes under the returning Trump administration.
The White House’s push to phase out remote and even hybrid work while relocating to more affordable offices is part of a larger initiative to shrink the federal government and cut costs.
The long-term impact of these changes on federal employment, agency operations, and office real estate remains to be seen.
However, with major workforce reductions and office relocations looming, the future of government employment and workplace flexibility is set for a major shake-up—and a large portion of corporate America is likely to follow suit.
