NSF scraps telework accommodations as staff face mandatory office return

The National Science Foundation (NSF) is pushing ahead with plans to end telework and remote work accommodations for its staff. Employees have been told that previously approved adjustments will no longer apply when they return to the newly renovated headquarters. The move follows broader federal efforts to bring workers back to offices full-time. Nearly all NSF employees are currently teleworking while their new headquarters undergoes renovations. Once the building is ready, management expects staff to return without the same reasonable accommodations they previously received. Officials argue that the medical necessity of these adjustments has not been assessed in the new workspace.

The NSF oversees billions in federal research funding each year, with many employees reviewing complex grant proposals. However, staff have raised concerns that these changes could worsen retention issues, as the agency already lost a third of its workforce during the Trump administration. The shift aligns with a 2020 Trump-era directive requiring federal employees to work in offices full-time. Other agencies, including the Department of Health and Human Services, have also restricted telework for employees with disabilities or medical needs. The Office of Personnel Management has warned against revoking accommodations without reviewing each case individually. Despite the changes, the NSF states it remains committed to meeting legal obligations under the Rehabilitation Act. This includes maintaining a process for reasonable accommodations, though the new policy tightens approval criteria.

Employees will soon return to the office under stricter rules. The loss of telework options may affect staff retention and daily operations. The NSF insists it will follow legal requirements but has not detailed how individual needs will be reassessed.