At the start of the year, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating all federal workers end remote work and return to the office full-time. Since then, thousands of employees have been subjected to a rushed process that has evolved into an untenable working environment, pushing many to their limits.

'Plummeting' productivity and morale 
Some early reports of the return-to-office process highlighted the "initial confusion and disarray" caused by "forcing tens of thousands of employees back to the office all at once," said Wired. Weeks later, employees say the "situation is getting worse." Despite claims that the mandate would lead to productivity increases and financial savings, employees say it has resulted in "widespread chaos, plummeting productivity and significantly reduced services to the public."

For some federal employees, returning to the office has meant an "expansion of their duties to include cleaning toilets and taking out the trash," said The New York Times. For others, it means "commuting to a federal building only to continue doing their work through videoconferencing." 

Spending freezes have exacerbated logistical issues like a lack of Wi-Fi, shortages of supplies like toilet paper, or insufficient desk space or furniture for everyone. The "lack of planning and coordination by the administration" has led to "confusion, plummeting morale and more inefficiency," said the Times. 

'Constant concern'
Employees directly affected by the chaotic return to in-person work express fear over what comes next. The looming threat of a reduction in force, or RIF, "remains a constant concern for employees as they return to federal offices," said the Times. There's a lot of "very dark humor at the office," a Treasury employee said to Wired. Many are "expecting to get RIFed or fired or something, but we are just waiting." Until then, it's "business as usual while everything is on fire."

For some, the return-to-office push falls in line with what they see as an "effort to drive them to the point of quitting," because at the same time, agencies are "planning large-scale job cuts at the direction of the Trump administration," said NPR. It has "seemed like an arbitrary punishment to lower morale," a Maryland FDA employee said to NPR.

A small airline has made a pact to operate deportation flights for the federal government, and the decision is causing mixed reactions alongside calls for a boycott. Avelo Airlines, an ultra-low-cost carrier, announced it will begin assisting with the government's deportation efforts next month.

Where are these flights happening?
The flights will be "operated by three Boeing 737-800 aircraft based at Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona and will begin on May 12," said USA Today. Avelo is planning to open a larger base at the airport and is "hiring flight attendants and aircraft technicians to work and service the charters."

Why is Avelo doing this?
The airline insists that it's a business decision and not politically motivated. The deportation flights will "provide us with the stability to continue expanding our core scheduled passenger service and keep our more than 1,100 crew members employed for years to come," Avelo CEO Andrew Levy said in a statement. 

The move is likely part of a continued push by Levy to grow the airline, which reported its first-ever profitable quarter in February 2024. However, the decision is "unusual considering charter companies the public likely hasn't heard of typically make these flights," Tom Cartwright, a flight data analyst for the advocacy group Witness at the Border, said to The Associated Press.

What has the response been?
The airline has received some ire for assisting President Donald Trump's efforts at mass deportation. Avelo was "swiftly criticized for its new agreement, with hundreds pledging to boycott the airline," said the Houston Chronicle. Protesters "demand that Avelo Air halt plans to carry out deportation flights in cooperation with the Trump administration," according to a Change.org petition with more than 4,300 signatures. 

Some officials have also criticized Avelo's flights. The airline's decision to charter deportation flights from Mesa Gateway Airport in Arizona is "deeply disappointing and disturbing," Justin Elicker, the mayor of New Haven, Connecticut, said to the New Haven Register. Avelo has a hub at New Haven's regional airport and is a large player in the state's aviation business.