On February 18, 2025, EPA Administrator Lee Zeldin released a video message on social media encouraging staff to return to full-time office work. In his message, Zeldin expressed gratitude to employees who have been working in the office consistently and called on others to join them.

“To the dedicated employees who have been showing up to the office every day, thank you! Your commitment to our mission does not go unnoticed. To all of the other great members of the team, it’s time to return to the office. To partner. To collaborate. And to deliver,” said Administrator Zeldin.

Zeldin highlighted that while the EPA Headquarters spans two city blocks across five buildings in Washington D.C., many areas remain underutilized due to low attendance. “Our spacious, beautiful EPA Headquarters spans two city blocks in DC across five buildings, but our hallways have been too vacant, desks are empty, and cubicles are filled with unoccupied chairs. The American people rely on every single one of us to protect their access to clean air, land, and water. Our mission of protecting human health and the environment is far too important for any of us to ever come up short,” he continued.

Since January 2024, attendance at the agency has been low, with a peak single-day attendance rate of only 37%. Mondays and Fridays saw an average attendance rate of just 8.9%. The EPA is implementing President Trump's executive orders aimed at increasing in-person work presence. Employees are expected to resume full-time work at agency sites starting February 24, 2025.