#Federal employees return to office#

a16z co-founder Marc Andreessen recently discussed the focus of the US government's Department of Efficiency (DOGE) on a podcast, saying that the department plans to push for an increase in the number of days federal employees work in the office. Currently, federal office buildings in Washington, DC, have an average occupancy rate of only 25%, with many employees coming to the office only one or two days a month, and some even going only two days in two months. Andreessen questioned whether this model is consistent with the requirements of being a federal employee, and noted that DOGE has come up with "innovative ideas" to cut government spending and optimize regulation. He believes that the current prevalence of remote work poses a challenge to work efficiency and questioned whether the president has the authority to require federal employees to return to the office. Previously, Trump advisors Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy suggested cutting $2 trillion in spending through reducing government waste, but the plan is still in the suggestion stage. Reports show that only 6% of federal employees work regularly in the office, and Musk further pointed out that the percentage of employees working full-time in the office, excluding security and maintenance personnel, may be as low as 1%.