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21h ago

CDC Pauses and Revokes Telework Accommodations for Employees With Disabilities

Internal notices tie the move to an HHS policy change aligned with President Trump's return-to-office directive.

Photo illustration: Shoshana Gordon/Axios. Photo: James Gathany, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Closeup shot of the rainbow screen of a half closed laptop illuminated the keyboard
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Centers for Disease Control and Prevention headquarters employees were permitted to work from home for about a month after a gunman shot at the campus.

Overview

  • CDC emails and notices say long-term telework is no longer available as a reasonable accommodation, new approvals are paused, and existing agreements will not be renewed.
  • HHS confirmed CDC is following department policy and the presidential directive to return to in-person work, with the update taking effect Aug. 13 as CDC awaits further clarification.
  • Internal documents reviewed by USA TODAY state telework is capped at two weeks or 80 hours per year per employee with no explicit exemption for disability accommodations.
  • Unions representing CDC staff call the change a sweeping civil rights violation and disability lawyers warn a blanket bar on telework may conflict with the Rehabilitation Act’s individualized accommodation requirements.
  • Employees report abrupt revocations and short-notice return orders as managers give inconsistent guidance following April cuts to accommodation staff and after the Aug. 8 Atlanta campus shooting and leadership turmoil.