Trump Administration Issues New Guidelines for Religious Workers [View all]

Source: Newsweek

Published Jul 17, 2025 at 11:43 AM EDT


President Donald Trump's administration has issued new guidance for working from home for religious federal workers. According to an Office of Personnel Management (OPM) memo seen by Newsweek, federal workers may now seek permission to work from home, adjust their hours, or seek other changes to their schedule for faith reasons.

Why It Matters

There are 2.4 million federal workers in the U.S., making it the largest employer in the country according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Since moving back into the White House for a second term, Trump has overseen a shake-up of this workforce, including by issuing an executive order in January to ban government staff from working from home.

The back to office order came as the administration also implemented hiring freezes and mass layoffs and has encouraged employees to point out examples of fraud, waste and abuse within their departments.

As for policies relating to religion, in February, Trump, who was confirmed into the Presbyterian Church and has said he identified as a nondenominational Christian, established a White House Faith Office aimed at eliminating what he describes as "anti-Christian bias" within the federal government.

Read more: https://www.newsweek.com/trump-administration-federal-workers-work-home-religious-2100174