The I-Team traced the 6% number to a report Sen. Joni Ernst, Department of Government Efficiency caucus leader, published last month called “Out of Office.” Tucked in the footnotes, the I-Team found she got the figure from a “non-scientific” survey of workers done last spring by Federal News Network.
According to the outlet, it received about 6,300 responses from people who “self-reported information to verify their status as current federal employees.” Of those respondents, 6% said they work “entirely in-person,” while 64% said they worked a hybrid schedule.
Exact data on how many federal employees go to the office is hard to find.
A study last year from the Office of Management and Budget, however, reports that of the 2.28 million civilians working for the federal government, 54% work fully on site.
Of those who had permission to telework, they spent about 61% of their time in the office.