Back in January I said that the Trump administration was taking modern workplaces back to the dark ages, and I didn’t realize that would include also into the literal dark, that federal workers would be forced back to offices without even lights.
‘It was messy’: Federal workers ordered to return to offices without desks, Wi-Fi and lights By Sunlen Serfaty, Tami Luhby, Ella Nilsen and Jeremy Herb, CNN Updated 9:33 AM EST, Tue March 4, 2025 Department of Education employees at an office in Dallas returned to ethernet cords in piles around the floor, random wires sticking out of walls, and motion-sensor lights that weren’t working correctly, leading to dark workspaces. One employee tripped over a pile of cords on her first day back, resulting in a large gash on her foot. She’s submitted a workers’ compensation complaint. And a Department of Defense employee who returned to in-office work and handles sensitive information was stuck in a conference room with people on different teams, forcing them to leave the room to make calls. The employee was eventually moved to an office — but one without Wi-Fi, so they had to use their phone’s spotty hot spot. “The only thing a return to the office has given me is an hour of traffic while driving and a loss in efficiency,” said the worker, who requested anonymity for fear of job reprisals. The problems, confusion and slipups that federal employees told CNN they’ve encountered returning to the office have only added to the chaos inside the workforce six weeks into a Trump administration determined to slash the size and scope of the federal government. Some federal workers being told to return to the office have no space to return to.