Republican Arizona Rep. Andy Biggs is introducing legislation to require workers at U.S. federal agencies to go back to work in-person.
The Return to Work Act mandates that agencies reinstate whatever telework policies they had in place prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, Just the News reports.
“Beginning on the date on which the head of an executive agency reinstates the telework policies in use by such executive agency on December 31, 2019, the reinstated telework policy of such executive agency shall apply in place of any telework provision of a teleworking, collective bargaining, or other employment agreement of such executive agency to the extent that such telework provision conflicts with, or applies a different telework policy than, the reinstated telework policy of such executive agency,” the bill reads.
Biggs, who has also advocated for students to return to in-person learning, argued that ongoing work-from-home policies for federal agencies are leading to a backlog of requests and other governmental inefficiencies.
“This backlog has prevented many Americans, especially our veterans, from receiving the service and care they need,” Biggs said.
“Americans are deservedly frustrated that they are not receiving the services that are owed to them,” he continued. “It’s well overdue for our federal workers to join the rest of the workforce and return to the office.”
“There’s no excuse for federal agencies to continue a strict telework schedule for their employees,” he added.
