{"id":651040,"date":"2025-01-27T07:10:17","date_gmt":"2025-01-27T04:10:17","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/the-us-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-follow\/"},"modified":"2025-01-27T07:10:17","modified_gmt":"2025-01-27T04:10:17","slug":"the-us-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-follow","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-us-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-follow\/","title":{"rendered":"#The US has called time on working from home\u2014here&#8217;s why the world shouldn&#8217;t follow"},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_85 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-custom ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title\" style=\"cursor:inherit\">Table of Contents<\/p>\n<label for=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a38739654f8f\" class=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-label\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #dd3333;color:#dd3333\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/label><input type=\"checkbox\"  id=\"ez-toc-cssicon-toggle-item-6a38739654f8f\" checked aria-label=\"Toggle\" \/><nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 ' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-us-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-follow\/#Trump_abruptly_pulls_the_rug\" >Trump abruptly pulls the rug<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-us-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-follow\/#Why_the_backlash\" >Why the backlash?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-us-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-follow\/#What_might_be_lost\" >What might be lost?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/the-us-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-follow\/#Will_Australia_follow\" >Will Australia follow?<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"article-gallery lightGallery\">\n<div data-thumb=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/tmb\/2025\/going-to-work.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/going-to-work.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Credit: August de Richelieu from Pexels\">\n<figure class=\"article-img\">\n            <img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/scx1.b-cdn.net\/csz\/news\/800a\/2025\/going-to-work.jpg\" alt=\"going to work\" title=\"Credit: August de Richelieu from Pexels\" width=\"800\" height=\"530\"\/><figcaption class=\"text-darken text-low-up text-truncate-js text-truncate mt-3\">\n                Credit: August de Richelieu from Pexels<br \/>\n            <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>US President Donald Trump has called time on working from home. An <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.whitehouse.gov\/presidential-actions\/2025\/01\/return-to-in-person-work\/\" target=\"_blank\">executive order<\/a> signed on the first day of his presidency this week requires all federal government departments and agencies to &#8220;take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>There are a few different models of working from home. Strictly speaking, remote work is where employees work from an alternative location (typically their home) on a permanent basis and are not required to report to their office.<\/p>\n<p>This is distinct from &#8220;<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.opm.gov\/frequently-asked-questions\/telework-faq\/telework-basics\/what-is-the-definition-of-telework\/\" target=\"_blank\">telework<\/a>,&#8221; a hybrid model whereby employees work from home an agreed number of days each week. But it&#8217;s clear Trump wants to end telework too.<\/p>\n<p>Under <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.washingtonpost.com\/politics\/2025\/01\/23\/federal-worker-mandates-resistance-trump\/\" target=\"_blank\">guidelines<\/a> released on Wednesday, federal agencies were given until 5pm local time on 24 January to update their telework policies to require all employees back in the office full-time within 30 days.<\/p>\n<p>Obviously, Trump can&#8217;t end working from home for everyone. Private organizations are allowed to set their own policies. But the US government is a seriously big employer, with more than <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/usafacts.org\/articles\/how-many-people-work-for-the-federal-government\/\" target=\"_blank\">3 million employees<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>According to the American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), about <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nbcwashington.com\/news\/local\/faq-how-trumps-remote-work-order-affects-federal-employees\/3821433\/\" target=\"_blank\">10%<\/a> of federal workers are fully remote. The impact of this order will be far-reaching.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Trump_abruptly_pulls_the_rug\"><\/span>Trump abruptly pulls the rug<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>The work-from-home movement was a profound global shift, brought on by the COVID pandemic. We&#8217;ve been living with it for five years.<\/p>\n<p>Federal workers who have been working remotely for an extended period are likely to have made significant life decisions based on their flexible working arrangements.<\/p>\n<p>It may have influenced where they bought a house, what school their children attend, and what their spouse or partner does for work.<\/p>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s order is likely to have a dramatic ripple effect on workers&#8217; families and other life arrangements and responsibilities.<\/p>\n<p>True, federal heads of department and managers and supervisors will be allowed to make <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/fedscoop.com\/opm-asks-agencies-revise-telework-policies-by-friday\/\" target=\"_blank\">some exceptions<\/a>\u2014including for a disability, medical condition or other &#8220;compelling reason.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>But the message is clear. What has been a growing but informal trend among some employers worldwide to &#8220;bring employees back into the office&#8221; is now being incorporated into US government policy.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Why_the_backlash\"><\/span>Why the backlash?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s executive order reflects longstanding concerns among some employers and managers who think it is simply better to have employees in the office.<\/p>\n<p>They argue, among other things, that in-office work makes it easier to keep a close eye on performance, and supports more face-to-face collaboration. It also makes better use of often very expensive real estate.<\/p>\n<p>Amazon recently ordered <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.npr.org\/2025\/01\/02\/nx-s1-5237654\/this-is-the-day-amazons-return-to-office-policy-takes-effect#:~:text=This%20is%20the%20day%20Amazon's,office'%20policy%20takes%20effect%20%3A%20NPR&amp;text=Hourly%20News-,This%20is%20the%20day%20Amazon's%20'return%20to%20office'%20policy%20takes,would%20work%20in%20the%20office.\" target=\"_blank\">all of its staff<\/a> back into the office five days a week. Other <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.forbes.com\/sites\/rachelwells\/2024\/10\/14\/70-of-employers-to-crack-down-on-remote-work-in-2025\/\" target=\"_blank\">surveys<\/a> suggest many employers are planning a crackdown this year.<\/p>\n<p>City planners and businesses have also lamented the impact of remote and flexible working on restaurants, dry cleaners and coffee shops that rely on trade from commuters.<\/p>\n<div class=\"ads w-100 my-4 article-main__more bg-light p-3 border\" aria-hidden=\"true\">\n<p class=\"mb-3\">\n        Discover the latest in <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/sciencee\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"5\" title=\"Science\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">science<\/a>, tech, and space with over <strong>100,000 subscribers<\/strong> who rely on Phys.org for daily insights.<br \/>\n        Sign up for our <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/sciencex.com\/help\/newsletter\/\" target=\"_blank\">free newsletter<\/a> and get updates on breakthroughs,<br \/>\n        innovations, and research that matter\u2014<strong>daily or weekly<\/strong>.\n    <\/p>\n<\/div>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"What_might_be_lost\"><\/span>What might be lost?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Some employees may actually welcome the return to the office, particularly those who prefer more <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/social-mediaa\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"1\" title=\"Social Media\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">social<\/a> interaction and want to make themselves more visible.<\/p>\n<p>Visibility is often linked with <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.sciencedirect.com\/science\/article\/abs\/pii\/S0001879119301265\" target=\"_blank\">more promotion and career development opportunities<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p>Others will find the change jarring, and may lose a range of benefits they&#8217;ve grown used to.<\/p>\n<p>A 2023 <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.econpol.eu\/publications\/policy_brief_53\" target=\"_blank\">report<\/a> by policy think tank EconPol Europe found working from home had become most prevalent in English-speaking countries.<\/p>\n<p>It suggested strong support, saying, &#8220;The majority of workers highly value the opportunity to work from home for a portion of their work week, with some placing significant importance on it.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Many also wanted to work more days from home than their employers were willing to allow.<\/p>\n<p>A <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.afr.com\/work-and-careers\/workplace\/study-reveals-the-biggest-winners-from-working-from-home-20241216-p5kypq\" target=\"_blank\">recent analysis<\/a> by the Committee for Economic Development of Australia (CEDA) found that working from home had significantly increased workforce participation for two key groups: working mums and people with a disability or health condition.<\/p>\n<p>Many employees now prioritize flexible work arrangements, and some are willing to sacrifice part of their salary for the privilege.<\/p>\n<p>Work-from-home arrangements also offer individuals living in remote communities access to employment. That benefit goes two ways, allowing employers to tap into a bigger talent pool.<\/p>\n<h2><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Will_Australia_follow\"><\/span>Will Australia follow?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n<p>Trump&#8217;s executive order could have big, immediate impacts on federal workers in the US, but it&#8217;s unclear whether there&#8217;ll be domino effects here. It would be unwise for the Australian government or major employers to adopt a blanket <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/download-scripts-themes-apps\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"9\" title=\"Download Scripts &amp; Themes &amp; Apps\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">app<\/a>roach.<\/p>\n<p>Indeed, some multinational US firms with offices in Australia may get caught up in Trump&#8217;s return-to-office movement.<\/p>\n<p>In the short term, this forced change is unlikely to make its way to Australia. While social trends do <a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/trip-and-travel\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"10\" title=\"Trip &amp; Travel\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">travel<\/a> between regions, each country has its own employment laws, customs and trends.<\/p>\n<p><a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/www.e-elgar.com\/shop\/gbp\/handbook-of-research-on-comparative-human-resource-management-9781784711122.html\" target=\"_blank\">Researchers<\/a> have shown it can be difficult, and in some cases impossible, to transfer human resource practices between countries and across cultures.<\/p>\n<p>Australia&#8217;s geography may be a factor on remote work&#8217;s side. A complete ban would immediately have a negative impact on employment opportunities for talented workers in the regions.<\/p>\n<p>The key message for Australian employers and policy-makers is that the benefits of remote work aren&#8217;t just for employees.<\/p>\n<p>It can enhance an organization&#8217;s performance, widening the talent pool to include not only those who live far away from the office, but also talented workers who may otherwise be excluded.<\/p>\n<div class=\"d-inline-block text-medium mt-4\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tProvided by<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tThe Conversation<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" class=\"icon_open\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<svg>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<use href=\"https:\/\/phys.b-cdn.net\/tmpl\/v6\/img\/svg\/sprite.svg#icon_open\" x=\"0\" y=\"0\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/svg><br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p class=\"article-main__note mt-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t  This article is republished from <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\" target=\"_blank\">The Conversation<\/a> under a Creative Commons license. Read the <a rel=\"nofollow\" target=\"_blank\" href=\"https:\/\/theconversation.com\/trump-has-called-time-on-working-from-home-heres-why-the-world-shouldnt-mindlessly-follow-248036\" target=\"_blank\">original article<\/a>.<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/counter.theconversation.com\/content\/248036\/count.gif?distributor=republish-lightbox-advanced\" alt=\"The Conversation\" width=\"1\" height=\"1\"\/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<!-- print only --><\/p>\n<div class=\"d-none d-print-block\">\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<strong>Citation<\/strong>:<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tOpinion: The US has called time on working from home\u2014here&#8217;s why the world shouldn&#8217;t follow (2025, January 26)<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tretrieved 26 January 2025<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tfrom https:\/\/phys.org\/<a href=\"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/category\/news\/\" data-internallinksmanager029f6b8e52c=\"2\" title=\"News\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">news<\/a>\/2025-01-opinion-home-world-shouldnt.html\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t This document is subject to copyright. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study or research, no<br \/>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t part may be reproduced without the written permission. The content is provided for information purposes only.\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p><script id=\"facebook-jssdk\" async=\"\" src=\"https:\/\/connect.facebook.net\/en_US\/sdk.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n<blockquote><p><strong><span style=\"color: #ff6600;\">If you liked the article, do not forget to share it with your friends. Follow us on\u00a0<span style=\"color: #ff0000;\"><a style=\"color: #ff0000;\" href=\"https:\/\/news.google.com\/publications\/CAAqBwgKMN63nwsw68G3Aw\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener noreferrer\">Google News<\/a><\/span>\u00a0too, click on the star and choose us from your favorites.<\/span><\/strong><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<blockquote>\n<p style=\"text-align: center;\"><strong>If you want to read more Like this articles, you can visit our <span style=\"color: #ff9900;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/category\/sciencee\/\" target=\"_blank\" >Science category.<\/a><\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p><span style=\"color: black;\"><a style=\"color: #ff9900;\" href=\"https:\/\/phys.org\/news\/2025-01-opinion-home-world-shouldnt.html\" target=\"_blank\" >Source<\/a><\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Credit: August de Richelieu from Pexels US President Donald Trump has called time on working from home. An executive order signed on the first day of his presidency this week requires all federal government departments and agencies to &#8220;take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person.&#8221;&#8230;<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":651041,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/scx2.b-cdn.net\/gfx\/news\/hires\/2025\/going-to-work.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[16],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-651040","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-sciencee"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651040","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=651040"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/651040\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/651041"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=651040"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=651040"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=651040"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}