After ordering federal workers back to the office, the Trump administration sent an e-mail informing employees it will employ the use of technology to ensure they’re back, Reuters says.
For example, it will track laptop logins, employee badge swipes, and other information to monitor where work is being completed.
“Most EPA employees have returned to the office, the message said, and failure to comply will result in disciplinary action, up to termination,” Reuters adds.
Managers have been directed to only attest to verifiable attendance, notes website Allwork.Space, which provides insights on the future of work.
Actions subject to discipline include working from unauthorized locations, failing to follow directives, failing to correctly submit attendance and hours information, failing to candidly report information, and being absent without leave (AWOL).
“The badge-tracking initiative follows other efforts by the administration of President Donald Trump to apply technology to government. For instance, Trump appointees have told some EPA managers that Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency is using artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor workers, including looking for language in communications considered hostile to Trump or Musk,” Reuters continues.
“In a statement, EPA Associate Administrator for Public Affairs Molly Vaseliou said the agency will use ‘commonsense measures’ to ‘deliver a present workforce with high productivity and high integrity for the American people,’” according to Reuters. The “EPA also acknowledged it was looking at AI to make the agency more efficient, but said it was not using the technology ‘as it makes personnel decisions in concert with DOGE.’ It did not directly address whether it was using AI to monitor worker communications.”
However, the Agency is taking on several modernization tasks, which “include projects digitizing historical records, automating workflows and using a ChatGPT-like generative artificial intelligence tool,” EPA CIO Vaughn Noga told FedScoop.
Thanks to technology, a wide array of options are available to track employees, including methods to monitor:
- Phone time
- Attendance
- Active vs. idle time
- Keystrokes
- Internet usage
- Overall productivity
- E-mails sent and received
- Direct video surveillance
“While labor law attorneys will usually advocate for transparency — as in the company should tell employees when and how they are being monitored — that isn’t always the case. ‘I think most employees are not aware of the extent of monitoring that is going on,’” said Arif Virji, the partner in charge of the labor and employment group at law firm Carle, Mackie, Power & Ross LLP in Santa Rosa, California, according to the North Bay Business Journal.
“According to a Pew Research Center study, ‘If AI were used to collect and analyze information about how workers are doing their jobs, about eight in 10 say workers would definitely (52%) or probably (29%) feel like they were being inappropriately watched. A majority also agrees this would lead to the information collected about workers being misused (66%).’”
Allwork.Space says the entire federal government isn’t yet equipped with badge tracking. For example, it hasn’t yet been implemented by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
“Musk has been a proponent of back-to-office work inside government and out. He and spokespeople for the FDA did not immediately respond to a request for comment,” Allwork.Space continues. “One person familiar with the EPA said the badge tracking showed Musk’s broader influence. ‘They are really keeping an eye’ on staff, this person said. ‘It’s not kindergarten. These are professionals.’
“Two other sources said the EPA did not conduct the same tracking under the prior administration of President Joe Biden, who came to office during the COVID-19 pandemic that saw remote work take off.”
Lisa Whitley Coleman is an Editor at EHS Daily Advisor.