GAO: Effectively ending telework increased attrition at Social Security

"A combination of former Commissioner Martin O'Malley's mandate that headquarters and regional office staff telework at most once or twice a week, respectively, and the agency's ability to recall employees from telework to address workload needs led to a reduction in the percentage of agency work hours spent working remotely from 50% to 55% in the first half of 2024 to 39% to 42% in the second half of the calendar year."

"Among those survey respondents stating that they planned to leave in the next year, almost half indicated that their respective work units' telework or remote work options influenced their intent to leave the organization," GAO wrote. "SSA officials told us these staff were likely considering leaving for more work or remote work opportunities, citing employee exit survey results and anecdotal discussions with managers . . . As a result, SSA was at risk of skills gaps in key occupations."

Telework at the Social Security Administration fell substantially after leadership mandates and a presidential memorandum restricting telework. Internal limits on remote days and the agency's ability to recall employees reduced remote work from roughly 50–55% in early 2024 to 39–42% later that year. After the March 2025 ban on most federal telework, SSA telework dropped to about 13% by April. Employees cited limited telework as a factor in intentions to leave, with nearly half of those planning to depart saying telework options influenced their decision. The decline in telework contributed to recruitment and retention challenges and raised the risk of skills gaps; leadership also pursued plans to reduce headcount by about 7,000 positions.

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