Civilian Telework And Remote Work: DOD Should Evaluate Programs in Relation to Department Goals

What GAO Found Since 2020, the Department of Defense’s (DOD) telework and remote work policies have changed to reflect federal guidance on the use of these flexibilities by federal employees. In January 2025, DOD directed the return to in-person work for all employees in compliance with a presidential memorandum requiring all executive branch employees to work in-person on a full-time basis, with limited exceptions. According to officials, as of July 2025, about 8 percent (62,000 of 780,000) of DOD employees had not returned to in-person work, with 6 percent (45,000) of those due to deferred resignation status or other exemptions and another 2 percent (17,000) due to reasonable accommodations.

DOD data for pay periods ending in calendar year 2024 shows that most work was conducted in perso