An RTO Mandate This Big Will Cost a Lot
One mark against saving money by getting people back into the office? It’ll cost a lot.
Right now, remote federal workers are located all across the country, and every one of them will soon need to report to an office, meaning they’ll have to move close to one, potentially incurring federal costs. The ROT mandate will impact nearly 3 million federal workers — that’s a lot of people to pay for.
Current federal guidelines also suggest that the government should be on the hook for temporary duty pay towards paying workers’ transportation, lodging and per diem expenses.
Plus, if workers are moving to be near an office that’s in a higher cost of living area, locality pay would need to be adjusted upwards. Real estate costs for the required office space is another expense.
Finally, there’s the potential for hiring costs, should any of the highly skilled and experienced workers who chose to quit need to be replaced. It all adds up to a big price tag, which is the exact reverse of what Trump’s administration is claiming to be attempting to accomplish here.
