Jun 1, 2021 - Politics & Policy

Scoop: White House employees to return to fully in-person work in July

Hans Nichols

Biden walks out of the White House — U.S. President Joe Biden departs the White House via the North Portico on May 28, 2021 in Washington, DC. Photo: Drew Angerer/Getty Images

The White House will invite all employees back to work in July, signaling an end to pandemic protocols for remote work for President Biden’s core team.

Driving the news: In a memo sent to the White House Office and Office of the Vice President, employees are advised that they "will transition to full time on campus work during the window of July 6 to July 23," according to a copy obtained by Axios.

There will be exemptions: "Any staffer with an extenuating circumstance that makes working in person not possible may, in consultation with their manager, continue to work remotely until those circumstances change."

The big picture: The memo is the latest step in reopening the federal workplace, but it does not mean an end to work-from-home guidelines.

Each agency will be required to develop its own plan on a phased return of employees, according to an administration official.

Flashback: Last April, President Trump asked federal agencies to consider how they might bring back employees.

The other side: Congressional Republicans have pressed Biden to bring all federal employees back to in-person working.

“COVID-19 cases are plummeting across the country and it’s past time for the federal workforce to return to their places of work,” Rep. Jody Hice (R-Ga.) wrote on May 18.

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Scoop: White House employees to return to fully in-person work in July

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