As agencies gradually bring federal employees back to work in their offices as life in our country slowly returns to normal in the wake of the COVID-19 coronavirus, the debate has begun over whether or not federal agencies are taking action too quickly.
Federal employee unions and some lawmakers in Washington who represent districts that are home to many federal employees say it’s too soon and that federal employees who can do so must remain at home teleworking, otherwise not only they, but the entire country could be put at risk.
In an effort to prevent the spread of the virus, some states and localities have made wearing masks in public mandatory which presumably would include office environments. An increasing number of companies have done the same for customers who enter their establishments.
A bill was recently introduced in Congress that would make wearing masks inside of federal agency buildings mandatory for the federal employees that work there as well as any members of the public who might happen to go inside.
This bill sparked a huge debate in the comments on FedSmith.com over the pros and cons of wearing masks.
As federal employees begin to prepare to head back to work in an office environment, we want to know what your thoughts are. Since most of our readers are federal employees who will be impacted by whatever decisions agencies and Congress make in terms of requiring them to go back to work or instituting new safety procedures inside of agency offices in the post-coronavirus era, we wanted to ask you directly about returning to work in the office.
Do you think it’s time for teleworking federal employees to return to the office? What precautions would need to be taken for you to feel safe working in the office again?
The survey is now closed. Thanks to those of you who took the time to share your feedback in the survey. You can see the results in this article: FedSmith Readers Say They Are Afraid to Return to Work in Their Offices.
