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Cockroach infestations, insufficient desk space, disruptive noise levels...
Hardly the kind of working environment capable of inspiring employee collaboration and productivity. But for NASA staff, this is the new normal of working in federal government, according to a report from Reuters.
Two individuals familiar with working conditions at the agency have said that NASA’s HQ in Washington has struggled to cope with an influx of staff following the government-wide return-to-office mandate ordered by President Trump in January.
Matt Biggs, President of the International Federation of Professional & Technical Engineers (IFPTE), a union representing over 8,000 federal NASA workers, summed up recent weeks at the administration: “It's complete chaos.”
Bugs & busy offices: NASA staff ‘much more unproductive’ post-RTO
The union leader – alongside another confidential employees – described the wide-ranging issues at the agency HQ following the recent return to office.
In February, employees arriving back on-site were greeted by cockroaches on the floor and bugs coming out of faucets, the Reuters report said.
While the unwanted creepy crawlies were promptly dealt with, according to Cheryl Warner, a spokesperson for NASA – “Our team took immediate action to address those concerns, including talking to our regularly scheduled exterminator” – issues with desk capacity are ongoing.
Biggs and another NASA staffer said insufficient space has even left some agency employees forced to work from their chairs without any desk; while noise levels at NASA’s Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Maryland have reportedly left some employees taking meetings inside their cars using a personal hotspot.
“If you don't have a desk or a computer you cannot do your job. People are much more unproductive,” Biggs said, further claiming that some staff are so worried about commuting each day that they arrive ‘before dawn’ to beat the traffic and sleep in their cars before work.
Warner has pushed back on the IFPTE’s claims. “We have more than enough space to accommodate our HQ workforce,” the spokesperson said, adding that the site is currently hosting roughly 1,000 people each day.
She also said there have been no reports of people working from vehicles and the HQ’s helpdesk has only had five requests about facilities issues since the full-time in-office mandate took effect.
Meanwhile, a White House official told Reuters that the General Services Administration, which manages federal real estate, is working “tirelessly to address reported issues to a satisfactory outcome.”
‘The Hunger Games’ – Trump’s in-office order slammed by federal staff
Reuters also heard from the Office of Personnel Management, the government's HR department that has communicated and executed Trump’s return-to-office order, alongside a swathe of other controversial changes including layoffs, DEI cuts, and Elon Musk’s voluntary resignation ultimatum.
“We are prioritizing in-person work to strengthen collaboration, accountability, and service delivery across the federal workforce,” an OPM spokesperson said.
But at NASA and all across federal government agencies, staff are reporting issues with productivity and the ability to do their jobs in overly busy offices.
Employees at the US Citizenship and Immigration Services (USCIS), for example, likened difficulties finding a desk in regional offices to “The Hunger Games.”
Other federal staffers similarly told Reuters about a lack of office space, including at the Internal Revenue Service (IRS). One manager reported witnessing a colleague sitting on the floor to work, while another claimed they knew of an HR staffer who was told to work in a supply closet.
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A further manager reported tax assessors were left unable to complete key conversations with clients due to concerns that sensitive subjects would be overheard, leading to a possible breach of privacy laws.
Return-to-office sparks clashes and division
There are several clashes between accounts shared by federal staff and their agencies. At the USCIS, for example, a staffer told Reuters that colleagues in a Chicago-based regional office were briefly forced to sit on boxes in a storage room. A USCIS spokesperson, however, gave a different spin on the Hunger Games-esque environment.
“With more employees in the office, of course the offices are more crowded. This is normal,” they said. “All employees have adequate space to work and serve the American people.”
Similarly, at the US Department of Agriculture (USDA), one employee called the agency’s office “a zoo,” with temporary workstations moved around daily; while a USDA spokesperson insisted there is “sufficient space” for all workers.
Some agencies have accepted that there are ongoing capacity issues with no clear resolution in sight. According to Reuters, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) sent a memo to staff last week warning staff it would not be able to guarantee desk or parking space for all 18,000 set for a full-time return-to-office on Monday.
The return-to-office order across federal government has divided opinion across the board.
Some, such as Steve Lenkart, Executive Director of the National Federation of Federal Employees, a union that represents 110,000 government staffers, argue the return-to-office order is little more than a “ploy to cause more confusion and get people to quit.”
But others refute that asking people back to the office full-time negatively impacts work-life balance and believe employees must work where they are asked to work – or find employment elsewhere.
Tricia McLaughlin, a spokesperson for the Department of Homeland Security, for example, stated in an email: "Employees whose salaries are paid for by American taxpayers should show up to work… This isn't complicated and isn't controversial.”
