JULY 17, 2025
President Donald Trump speaks during a meeting with Bahrain’s Crown Prince Salman bin Hamad Al Khalifa in the Oval Office of the White House, Wednesday, July 16, 2025, in Washington. – AP Photo/Alex Brandon
President Donald Trump’s administration has issued new guidance for working from home for religious federal workers.
According to an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memo seen by Newsweek, federal workers may now seek permission to work from home, adjust their hours, or seek other changes to their schedule for faith reasons.
Why It Matters
There are 2.4 million federal workers in the U.S., making it the largest employer in the country according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Since moving back into the White House for a second term, Trump has overseen a shake-up of this workforce, including by issuing an executive order in January to ban government staff from working from home.
The back to office order came as the administration also implemented hiring freezes and mass layoffs and has encouraged employees to point out examples of fraud, waste and abuse within their departments.
As for policies relating to religion, in February, Trump, who was confirmed into the Presbyterian Church and has said he identified as a nondenominational Christian, established a White House Faith Office aimed at eliminating what he describes as “anti-Christian bias” within the federal government.
What To Know
The memo, sent by Scott Kupor, the OPM director, and addressed to the heads and acting heads of government departments and agencies said agencies should “adopt a generous approach to approving religious accommodations, prioritizing employee needs while maintaining operational efficiency.”
It added that departments should allow time off, annual leave, telework and other accommodations when it comes to religious accommodations, when it is reasonably possible.
“Agencies should assess telework requests by considering technological feasibility, job requirements, telework eligibility, and other relevant factors. Additionally, an employee must have a written telework agreement,” it said.
It added: “To the extent that modifications in work schedules do not interfere with the efficient accomplishment of an agency’s mission, an employee must be permitted upon request to earn and take religious compensatory time off for a religious observance or practice as required by the employee’s personal religious belief.”
It also suggested adding core hours and flexible hours for workers to perform their duties and interacting with employees with “good-faith” to explore options available to them.
The memo said that one of Trump’s priorities is ensuring religious liberty in the federal government.
What People Are Saying
Donald Trump said at a press conference in January: “If people don’t come back to work, come back into the office, they’re going to be dismissed.”
What Happens Next
The extent to which these changes are implemented remain to be seen. Meanwhile, as his presidency continues, Trump will likely enact further changes to the workforce.
Courtesy/Source: Newsweek
