Military spouses who work remotely for the federal government are now exempt from an executive order issued Jan. 20 by President Donald Trump that ended remote options for most agencies and departments.
Office of Personnel Management Acting Director Charles Ezell issued a memo Wednesday announcing that spouses of active-duty personnel who work remotely are "categorically exempt" from a requirement that federal workers return to their offices five days a week.
The new memo clarifies a footnote in a Jan. 27 Office of Management and Budget announcement that said agencies should "exclude military spouses working remotely based on the Military Spouse Employment Act."
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The memo says military spouses "shall" be allowed to work remotely regardless of whether they were hired under the law or by another means. It also allows agencies to accommodate military spouses for remote work across the federal workforce as they relocate.
Debbie McGee, the wife of an Army retiree and founder of a human resources company, said the ability to work remotely is essential for military spouses to maintain careers and contribute to household income in an economy that largely requires two salaries to raise a family.
"The days of 'hey, your spouse is in the military, you don't have to work' are long gone. You have to have dual income now," McGee said in an interview Friday with Military.com. "You have a huge population that are problem solvers [and] can pivot at the drop of a pen. They don't need to be directed. … They are perfect for remote work. Why wouldn't you [let them]?"
She added that some military spouses feared they would lose their jobs if they were required to return to office or if they moved with their spouses to a new duty station.
"They have made a commitment to stand behind the soldier and support the United States by following them" McGee said. "That's a huge patriotic act. Sometimes, I think the population does not realize the sacrifice the entire family makes."
According to the memo, the exemption applies to the spouses of active-duty personnel, including activated Guard or reserve members, but it does not include the spouses of reservists attending training or school.
It also applies to Gold Star spouses whose service members died on active duty and who haven't remarried, and spouses of veterans who were awarded a 100% disability rating when they left the armed forces.
Military spouse employment became a priority for the executive branch under first lady Michelle Obama, who cofounded an initiative, Joining Forces, to provide military families with employment, wellness and education.
Portions of the Military Spouse Employment Act were included in the fiscal 2024 National Defense Authorization Act, giving military spouses the opportunity to work remotely for federal agencies.
Reps. Rob Wittman, R-Va., and Eugene Vindman, D-Va., have led a bipartisan effort in the past week to push for the return-to-work exemption for military spouses.
Wittman said military families make sacrifices with frequent relocations and deserve the exemption.
"Standing by our military families isn't just the right thing to do -- it's patriotic and simply common sense. I thank the administration for their decision to amend this executive order," Wittman said in a news release Thursday.
"Today, I am celebrating a win for military families after the administration heeded our bipartisan call to exempt military spouses from the return to in-person work order," Vindman added in the release.
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