SHOW UP Act of 2025

The Stopping Home Office Work’s Unproductive Problems (SHOW UP) Act of 2025 proposes to return the federal workforce to pre-pandemic in-person work levels. If enacted, federal agencies would be required to reinstate the telework policies that were in place on December 31, 2019, within 30 days. This would effectively roll back expanded work-from-home arrangements that became common during the COVID-19 pandemic.

The bill also aims to restrict future expansions of remote work by requiring agencies to submit detailed studies to Congress. These reports would need to evaluate how pandemic-era telework impacted agency missions, including effects on productivity, office space costs, and the delivery of public services. Under this proposal, any new telework expansion would require certification from the Office of Personnel Management to ensure the change would improve performance and lower costs without compromising data security.

For everyday citizens, this legislation could lead to more federal employees working from traditional government offices rather than remotely. Proponents suggest this would improve the efficiency of government services and revitalize downtown areas, while critics argue it could hinder the recruitment of talented workers who prefer flexible schedules and might increase costs related to maintaining large office buildings.