The “return to office” mandate has shifted gears from a policy debate to an enforcement regime. As reported by FEDweek, the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has issued revised guidance explicitly directing agencies to “closely monitor” the productivity of the few federal employees still permitted to work offsite.
This new directive, which updates the government’s comprehensive guide to telework, makes one thing clear: Permission to work from home is now conditional on rigorous, verified proof of output. For employees who have retained their telework or remote status through exceptions (such as disability or military spouse status), the “honor system” is officially over.
📋 The New Standard: “Trust but Verify”
The revised guidance reflects the administration’s skepticism toward offsite work. OPM now mandates that agencies establish specific policies to:
- Verify Attendance: Ensure employees are working full-time, either in-person at the agency worksite or at their approved alternative site.
- Monitor Output: Hold offsite workers to the same performance standards as in-person staff, but with an added layer of scrutiny to “monitor and verify” that work is actually being performed during duty hours.
- Document Exceptions: Agencies must rigorously document the criteria for any exceptions granted for “compelling reasons,” creating a paper trail that can be audited later.
📊 Sound Data: The “Productivity” Disconnect
The push for monitoring is driven by a narrative that equates “offsite” with “offline,” but the data suggests a different reality that employees should be aware of:
- The “6%” Myth vs. Reality: The administration has cited a figure claiming only 6% of federal employees work in-person to justify these crackdowns. However, Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) data from April 2025 shows the federal telework rate has already dropped to just 18.2%, meaning over 80% of the workforce is already reporting in-person. The crackdown is targeting a minority of the workforce that is often highly productive.
- The Recruitment Reality: A June 2025 Government Accountability Office (GAO) report found that remote job announcements received an average of 366 applications, compared to just 51 for non-remote positions. Agencies with more remote flexibility were statistically more likely to meet their mission-critical hiring goals.
- The Rise of Surveillance: In the private sector, 86% of companies now use real-time activity monitoring, and 53% use screen monitoring/screenshots. As OPM pushes for “verification,” federal agencies may adopt similar software that tracks keystrokes or “green status” availability rather than actual deliverables.
⚠️ The Risk: “Performance” as a Pretext
For employees, this increased scrutiny creates a dangerous vulnerability. If your “verified” output dips—or simply isn’t documented in the specific way your supervisor now requires—your telework agreement can be revoked immediately. Worse, with the looming threat of “forced ratings distributions” (the bell curve), a lack of visible “face time” could be the tiebreaker that drops you from a Level 4 to a Level 3.
The “Phantom” Metric: The danger is not that you aren’t working; it’s that your work isn’t being counted correctly. If your agency adopts monitoring software, you could be penalized for deep work (like reading regulations or drafting briefs) that doesn’t look “active” to a digital monitor.
🛡️ Protect Your Career in the Age of Surveillance
If you are working offsite, you are now working under a microscope. You need a strategy to ensure your productivity is undeniable and your career is protected.
This is where Internal Benefit Advisors provides the defense strategy you need. We help you “performance-proof” your federal career.
How We Help You Survive the Crackdown:
- Performance “Paper Trail” Review: We advise you on how to document your accomplishments to ensure they align with the new “verified” standards, protecting you from arbitrary negative ratings.
- Disability & Accommodation Analysis: If your telework is based on a medical exception, we help you review your documentation to ensure it stands up to the stricter “compelling reason” audits OPM is mandating.
- “Exit Strategy” Planning: If the monitoring becomes a tool for constructive discharge (making you want to quit), we help you analyze your Voluntary Early Retirement Authority (VERA) or Deferred Retirement options so you can leave on your terms, not theirs.
The government is watching your keystrokes. Make sure you are watching your long-term plan.
Contact Internal Benefit Advisors today for a confidential career protection and benefits review.
References
- FEDweek. “OPM Stresses Monitoring of Offsite Work (Where It Still Is Allowed).” January 6, 2026.
- U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM). 2025 Guide to Telework and Remote Work in the Federal Government.
- Government Accountability Office (GAO). Federal Remote Work: OPM Guidance Could Help Relevant Agencies Evaluate Effects on Agency Performance (GAO-25-107363). June 17, 2025.
- Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Telework Rate Down for Federal Government Workers in April 2025.
- Internal Benefit Advisors. Retrieved from https://internalbenefitadvisors.com
