The measure was one of several executive orders he signed during a public event at an arena in Washington DC attended by thousands of his supporters.
“Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements,” the White House said in a statement confirming the executive order.
The measure also requires employees “to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary”.
“This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law,” it added.
The language in the statement underscores the challenges the new Trump administration is likely to face in enforcing the executive order, given the strong opposition to ending remote work by unions representing public-sector workers.
Donald Trump was sworn in as 47th President of the US in a ceremony in the US Capitol, Washington DC, on January 20. Photo / Getty Images
Work-from-home allowances flourished during the Covid-19 pandemic, when millions of white-collar workers moved online as their employers looked to reduce the spread of the virus.
The measures proved popular with employees, who voiced support for the newfound flexibility it afforded them in their personal lives.
Many of Trump’s most ardent supporters, including his billionaire ally and mega-donor Elon Musk, have said work-from-home policies were inefficient and have called for federal workers to return to the office full-time.
Trump promises more consumer choice in cars and toilets
Trump also unveiled a series of employment, energy and consumer affairs orders and policies.
In new presidential actions, the White House said Trump would “unleash American energy” and review all regulations that imposed undue burdens on energy production and use, including mining and processing of non-fuel minerals.
“President Trump’s energy actions empower consumer choice in vehicles, showerheads, toilets, washing machines, lightbulbs and dishwashers.”
Trump directed civil service chiefs to eliminate what he called “counterproductive requirements that raise the costs of home appliances”.
He also called on the Government to create job opportunities for American workers, including drawing discouraged workers into the workforce.
As mentioned in the earlier inaugural address, the White House said Trump would “declare an energy emergency and use all necessary resources to build critical infrastructure”.
Trump blamed an “assault on plentiful and reliable American energy through unnecessary and illegal regulatory demands” for driving up transportation and manufacturing costs.
The White House said requirements to effectively eliminate many or most gas-powered vehicles caused artificial price increases on those popular vehicles to subsidise electric vehicles “disfavoured by consumers”.
Trump also addressed the TikTok issue, saying his new administration needed 75 days to assess how to protect national security while avoiding an abrupt shutdown of the social media video platform.
He also fulfilled his promise to rescind former President Biden’s 2023 executive order on AI safety. The Biden order set safety standards for the use of artificial intelligence across the federal government. “Trump’s executive order leaves a vacuum on federal A.I. regulations, while some states and European nations have enacted laws to regulate the fast-growing technology that poses risks to national security and jobs”, according to the New York Times inauguration day liveblog.
Trump also signed an executive order challenging an international agreement the Biden administration had negotiated with countries including New Zealand — to try to stop large multinational corporations from booking profits in countries with low taxes.
