DOE issues return to office schedule for most employees

The Department of Energy issued a memo dated Thursday Feb. 27 saying telework and remote work agreements will be terminated, with exceptions, and all employees will return to in-person work.

The memo, obtained by the Exchange Monitor on Friday, said DOE was pursuing President Donald Trump’s executive order from his first full day in office, Return to In-Person Work. Exceptions were granted for employees with a telework agreement approved for a “reasonable accommodation due to a disability or qualifying medical condition,” military spouses, and employees approved to work overseas.

The following must return to work at a DOE facility:

• Political appointees, senior executive service, senior level, scientific and professional managers and supervisors by March 17.
• Non-bargaining unit employees with telework agreements by March 24.
• Non-bargaining unit employees with remote agreements with a duty station within 50 miles from a DOE facility where primary work is located by March 31.
• Non-bargaining unit employees with remote work agreements whose duty station is more than 50 miles from a DOE facility where primary work is located by May 5.
• Bargaining unit employees by a date to be determined.