Washington, D.C. – On Monday, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) headquarters witnessed a chaotic situation as thousands of employees resumed on-site work, confronting an array of logistical challenges such as overcrowded parking lots, lengthy security checks, and a lack of basic office supplies such as chairs. This transition marks the agency’s efforts to align with the Trump administration’s mandate for federal employees to return to the office, part of an overarching strategy aimed at significantly downsizing the federal workforce.
Monday was particularly notable as it marked the first full return of all FDA staff to the agency’s locations, including its main hub on a sprawling 130-acre site in White Oak, Maryland. Originally, the site served as a naval weapons testing facility until the late 1990s. Several FDA employees, under the condition of anonymity, divulged insights into the disarray they faced, ranging from extended queues for parking and security to frantic searches for office space and supplies.
The predicament was described by one FDA personnel as a “chaos and lost work hours” scenario due to compounded delays from commuting hassles and reshuffled work environments. Approximately half of the agency’s 20,000 workforce, comprising scientists, attorneys, inspectors, and support staff, report directly to White Oak. The disruption saw staff redirecting their efforts to find makeshift workstations, with some resorting to appropriating chairs and equipment from other areas.
FDA employees, accustomed to the flexibility of teleworking, had previously enjoyed working from home options several years before the COVID-19 pandemic made remote work commonplace. This flexibility was a vital incentive for attracting top talent, as many experts in the field could potentially earn higher salaries in the private sector.
By the early morning hours, employees reported that parking facilities had reached capacity by 7:30 a.m., forcing some to park along adjacent streets. Lines to enter the headquarters stretched outside and along sidewalks as some employees waited nearly an hour to pass through security checkpoints. Inside, the situation deteriorated further with broken desks, missing chairs, and locked offices to which employees did not have access.
“Everyone is really striving hard to make an unworkable situation function,” one employee commented, emphasizing the collaborative spirit among staff to overcome the immediate challenges. However, in their search for essential items like chairs and basic office supplies, staff were found scouring the premises with some even taking unused items from conference rooms.
The congestion extended into workspaces where shared areas turned chaotic as staff across different divisions were crammed into tight quarters, making communication, calls, and meetings cumbersome. Photographs captured by staff showed impromptu setups with folding chairs and tables crowding hallways and lobbies.
An FDA spokesperson acknowledged in an email the ongoing adjustments to facilitate the return-to-office initiatives, ensuring that mission-critical public health tasks continue unabated. In terms of drinking water safety, a lingering issue persists regarding Legionella, the bacterium responsible for Legionnaires’ disease. While the General Services Administration has been addressing this concern for several months, employees expressed doubt and brought their own water to work after enduring months of advisories.
Earlier this month, staff received assurances via email that the water was deemed safe; however, details of test results and remedial measures were scant. Anthony Lee, the local union chapter representative for the FDA workforce, indicated unfulfilled requests for discussions with the agency regarding water safety.
Despite assurances, skepticism remains, with one staff member remarking, “None of us are inclined to try it. After continuous warnings about Legionella, it just isn’t appealing.”
