Even though the deadline for employees to return to the office has passed, certain VA workers could potentially continue working remotely due to insufficient office space.

As the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) prepares for a significant number of its employees to return to office work, a potential issue of not having enough workspace has arisen. According to a report by Eric Katz, as of April 14, approximately 48,000 VHA employees who are required to return to the office by May 5 were in compliance. However, the VHA is projecting a deficit of 57,000 workstations as of March 31.

The return-to-office mandate affects employees who live within 50 miles of a federal office space and haven't already returned to the office. As of now, nearly 90% of VA employees work at the VHA. Employees outside of the 50-mile range will be required to report to an office starting July 28.

The VHA serves more than 9.1 million veterans, and it aims to bring back as many employees to the office as mission and space permit, in order to deliver the best care and services possible by working together as a team in the office. VA officials have set deadlines for determining workstation availability and making space assignments for employees returning to the office by April 18 and April 22, respectively, using a return-to-office app.

However, employees have reported cramped office conditions and difficulties in finding out where they are supposed to work since President Donald Trump largely ended remote work flexibility for the federal workforce. It is unclear if all impacted staffers have been informed about their specific reporting locations.

To address these concerns, VA Press Secretary Peter Kasperowicz stated that certain telework and remote work arrangements would be extended past the deadline if space is not available. Reasonable exceptions may also be made for employees returning to the office by May 5 if space is not available. The VA has requested more than 9,000 exemptions and 6,500 exceptions to the return-to-office mandate, with approval for most of these requests still pending.

The VHA's return-to-office plan comes at a time when the service is under scrutiny due to concerns that the in-office requirement could negatively impact the service, such as the case with Veteran suicide hotline employees who have been permitted to work remotely. The search results do not provide specific information about the announcement regarding the return of about 100,000 Veterans Health Administration employees to full office work.

Even though the deadline for employees to return to the office has passed, certain VA workers could potentially continue working remotely due to insufficient office space.