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Federal workers are expressing their frustration on social media after former President Trump’s executive order mandating a return to full-time office work, eliminating remote work options for government employees.
The announcement sparked outrage among federal staffers, with several taking to TikTok to voice their displeasure. Genesis Cuesta, employed at a federal court in Washington, DC, shared her strong reaction to the news in a TikTok video that has since been removed.
“I am so upset, I am so mad,” she exclaimed. “Like, this f–king sucks. This sucks. And the crazy thing is, we’ve only just begun… We’re just getting started in all of this f–kery.”
Federal employees are completely melting down over being asked to come to work in person. They’re working for you, with your tax dollars, but just the thought of having to drive through traffic is sending them into conniptions. pic.twitter.com/UsvVmOlRbd
— Ian Miles Cheong (@stillgray) January 21, 2025
Another federal employee, known only as Kati, documented herself reviewing an Office of Personnel Management memo detailing the upcoming changes. “That’s crazy,” she remarked in the footage, which was later shared on X by the Libs of TikTok account. The video shows her repeatedly lowering her head into her hand while commenting, “Five days a week in person.”
The workers’ complaints were met with little sympathy across social media platforms. Critics suggested these government employees should either adapt to the new requirements or seek alternative employment. Some online commentators pointed out that many Americans have been working in-person throughout the pandemic.
To understand how angry this is going to make federal workers, you have to understand that none of them have been in an office at 4:59pm on a Friday since the 90s.
Think of how angry you would be if your boss ordered you to work until 8pm on Saturdays…that’s how mad Feds are… https://t.co/RFyLoz9pBq
— 🐺 (@LeighWolf) January 23, 2025
One TikTok user criticized the remote work arrangement, suggesting some federal employees weren’t being productive while working from home. “Federal employees been taking advantage of working from home, doing everything but working. Collecting our tax dollars with a shot glass on your space bar to keep your computer up and running — doing everything but working on behalf of the American people,” they stated.
The directive comes from Trump’s executive order instructing federal agency heads to “take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements” and reinstate full-time office attendance at “their respective duty stations.” The brief order specified that implementation must comply with applicable laws.
The social media response was largely unsympathetic, with many pointing out that most of the workforce has already returned to in-person work. Some suggested that if federal employees were unwilling to return to the office, there were plenty of job seekers ready to take their positions with the associated benefits.
