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STAT+: Return-to-office mandates pose the latest challenge to morale at the FDA
Departures of key staff from the FDA could lead to delays in inspections and product approvals.
SILVER SPRING, Md. — Most Food and Drug Administration employees were required to return to work in person on Monday. For some, the working conditions were less than ideal.
At the main campus in Silver Spring, employees wondered whether the water was drinkable after testing in some buildings last fall revealed the presence of the legionella bacteria. Some booked stays at a nearby Comfort Inn in order to avoid a six-hour round-trip commute. Others debated how to hold sensitive calls while crammed into a conference room with other employees.
The Trump administration earlier this year ordered all government employees to return to work in person. FDA employees whose “duty station” was within 50 miles of a federal facility had to work in-person by Monday. Those outside of the 50 mile radius have until April 28.
