A new report reveals the federal government is wasting billions on office leases despite many employees working remotely.

The report reveals that many federal agencies are barely using their office buildings. In fact, some are only using between 9% and 49% of their space. It’s a real head-scratcher, especially since more than half of federal employees were either fully remote or teleworking regularly by May 2024.
The findings also show that federal agencies spent $3.3 billion on furniture from 2020 to 2022, which seems a bit excessive given the circumstances. There are around 7,000 vacant federal buildings, and many others are only partially occupied.
Oversight Committee Chairman James Comer pointed out that while the lights are on in these buildings, many federal workers are still at home. He criticized the current telework policies, saying they’re not helping the government fulfill its mission.
With the incoming Trump administration, there’s talk of using better tracking tools for remote work. Meanwhile, DC Mayor Muriel Bowser is pushing for more in-person work from city employees.
It’s a tangled web of agreements and policies that make it tough to change the current work-from-home situation. The House Oversight Committee is looking into this issue, hoping to find a way to balance remote work with the needs of the government and the public.