The Trump administration announced on Wednesday (July 16) that federal employees are allowed to request to work from home or adjust their work hours for religious activities. Previously, the Trump administration had required federal employees to work full-time in the office.
The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) issued a memorandum to agency heads on Wednesday to provide support for federal employees’ religious activities. OPM Director Scott Kupor stated in the memorandum that OPM encourages federal agencies to “adopt a generous approach” in approving employees’ religious activity needs while maintaining operational efficiency.
According to the memorandum, federal agencies should allow employees to work remotely before and during religious holidays; allow fasting employees to work remotely to facilitate engagement in activities related to fasting, such as prayer or rest, in a quieter or more private environment during working hours; employees participating in prayer or religious ritual activities should also be allowed to work remotely to provide flexibility for employees to participate in specific religious activities during work hours.
Kupor stated that agencies refusing to allow employees to work remotely for religious reasons must provide evidence showing that remote work would have a significant impact on the agency’s operations.
The memorandum also states that OPM’s guidance applies to all employees in the executive branch who require work adjustments due to personal religious beliefs, such as being absent from work at certain times or participating in religious ceremonies or activities.
“Religious freedom is fundamental,” said OPM Director Kupor. “No federal employee should be forced to choose between their faith and federal service. This guidance ensures that agencies fulfill their legal obligations and handle these requests with the seriousness they deserve.”
This is the latest adjustment to federal employee work regulations by the Trump administration. On his inauguration day, Trump had ordered all federal employees to report to their workplace five days a week. He had strongly criticized the practice of federal employees working remotely during his campaign.
According to Reuters, as of May 2024, over one million federal employees (almost half of the federal civilian workforce) were eligible to work remotely at least part of the time, with approximately 10% of employees working entirely remotely, according to a report from the Biden administration.