President Donald Trump issued two directives yesterday aimed at reshaping the federal workforce by freezing civilian hiring across executive branch agencies and requiring employees to return to in-person work at their duty stations.
The hiring freeze, effective immediately, prohibits filling vacant federal civilian positions as of noon on January 20, 2025, and bans the creation of new positions. Exemptions are allowed for military personnel and roles related to national security, immigration enforcement, public safety, or essential services such as Social Security and Medicare. Agencies may request additional exemptions through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM), according to the memorandum.
The order also instructs the Office of Management and Budget (OMB), in collaboration with OPM and the United States DOGE Service (USDS), to develop a plan within 90 days to reduce the size of the federal workforce through efficiency improvements and attrition. While the freeze is expected to expire upon submission of this plan for most agencies, it will remain in place for the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) until the Secretary of the Treasury determines it is no longer necessary.
“Contracting outside the Federal Government to circumvent the intent of this memorandum is prohibited,” the order states, emphasizing the need for efficient use of existing resources to maintain essential services.
Return to in-person work
In a separate memorandum titled Return to In-Person Work, Trump directed all executive branch agencies to end remote work arrangements as soon as practicable. Employees are to return to their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, though agency heads are authorized to grant exemptions deemed necessary.
The memorandum signals a shift back to pre-pandemic work norms, marking a significant departure from the flexible work policies that expanded under the Biden administration. Trump’s directive aims to restore office-based operations while allowing for limited flexibility.
Focus on efficiency and accountability
Taken together, the two directives reflect Trump’s efforts to streamline government operations by reducing the workforce size, restoring traditional work structures, and prioritizing accountability. Both orders emphasize the importance of maintaining essential public services while realigning resources to meet high-priority needs.
The hiring freeze and return-to-office policies are expected to reshape how federal agencies operate in the coming months, with further details on implementation anticipated in the OMB’s forthcoming workforce reduction plan.
