United States federal employees returning to their offices under President Donald Trump’s return-to-work order have reported inadequate working conditions, including pest infestations, overcrowded spaces, and a shortage of basic office furniture.
According to Reuters, at NASA headquarters in Washington, staff encountered cockroaches on the floor and bugs coming out of faucets, according to employees familiar with the situation.
Some workers at the agency’s Goddard Space Flight Center in Maryland have been forced to conduct meetings from their vehicles using personal mobile hotspots due to noise and lack of internet access in the building.
Similar complaints have emerged across several federal agencies following the January 20 directive requiring most federal workers to resume full-time in-office duties. Many employees said office facilities were unprepared for their return after years of remote or hybrid work arrangements.
At the Internal Revenue Service office in Memphis, Tennessee, staff assigned to a training room reported being unable to speak with clients over the phone due to the lack of privacy, raising concerns about potential breaches of federal law. In Washington, one IRS manager said she was forced to work on the floor because of the unavailability of desks.
At U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services regional offices, employees compared the scramble for desks to a scene from The Hunger Games. In Chicago, some staff were temporarily assigned to work on boxes in a storage room.
The Office of Personnel Management said the return-to-office policy is aimed at improving collaboration, accountability, and service delivery. “
“We are prioritizing in-person work to strengthen collaboration, accountability, and service delivery across the federal workforce,” an OPM spokesperson said.
However, labour unions and governance experts have criticised the implementation, accusing the administration of intentionally creating difficult working conditions to encourage attrition and reduce the size of the federal workforce.
“Bringing people back to work was nothing but a ploy to cause more confusion and get people to quit,” said Steve Lenkart, executive director of the National Federation of Federal Employees.
“If you don’t have a desk or a computer you cannot do your job,” said Matt Biggs, president of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers, which represents NASA workers.
NASA spokesperson Cheryl Warner said about 1,000 people have been entering headquarters daily and noted that only five facility-related complaints have been recorded in the past 30 days. She said immediate action was taken to address all concerns raised by staff.
Other agencies have faced similar issues. A manager at the Department of Agriculture described the environment as chaotic, saying workers compete daily for available space while staff rearrange furniture to create makeshift workstations.
Reuters reviewed internal memos from agencies including the Food and Drug Administration, which notified staff that it could not guarantee desks or parking for the estimated 18,000 employees expected to return.
Federal data shows approximately 46% of government workers were eligible for remote work before the mandate, with around 228,000 working remotely full-time. Some agencies reduced their physical office space during the pandemic to cut costs, contributing to the current overcrowding.
The Department of Justice said federal workers are expected to report to the office like other Americans. Washington Mayor Muriel Bowser has supported the return-to-office policy, citing its potential to revitalise the city’s economy and increase tax revenue.
More than 100,000 federal employees have left their positions through dismissals or voluntary buyouts since Trump took office. Labour unions say additional large-scale cuts are in progress.
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