President Donald Trump made a long list of promises on the campaign trail and, so far, he's coming through on every single one of them.

According to Fox Business, Trump, during his campaign, pledged to end the remote work holiday for federal workers and return them to their desks in an office, and earlier this week, he signed an executive order to that effect. 

The move is completely contrary to former President Joe Biden's promise to keep the remote worker program in place, at least in a hybrid capacity, until 2029.

The order provided a deadline of Friday for federal agencies to begin moving workers back into their offices.

What's happening?

Trump's EO, which ultimately slashed plans made by the Biden-Harris administration, was crystal clear in its wording.

"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 and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary," Trump's EO read.

One of the benefits of returning workers to the office was discovered by Elon Musk, who is heading Trump's Department of Government Efficiency, or DOGE.

Musk made his thoughts on the matter clear last year in an op-ed for The Wall Street Journal.

"Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome: If federal employees don't want to show up, American taxpayers shouldn't pay them for the COVID-era privilege of staying home," Musk wrote at the time with Vivek Ramaswamy, a former co-leader of DOGE

"There are NO work from home positions!"

Trump's Personnel Director means business. pic.twitter.com/OImI5cYqPB

— Townhall.com (@townhallcom) January 23, 2025

Hiring freeze

In addition to ending remote work for federal employees, Trump ordered a hiring freeze on civilian federal workers.

"As part of this freeze, no Federal civilian position that is vacant at noon on January 20, 2025, may be filled, and no new position may be created except as otherwise provided for in this memorandum or other applicable law," the EO stated.

There were some limited exceptions to the rule, mostly regarding the military and certain law enforcement positions.

It'll be interesting to see the effects of returning the federal remote workforce back to the office.