DHS Allows More Flexible Work Schedules for Federal Employees

The Department of Homeland Security is reversing its previous mandate for in-office work under new leadership.

Apr. 20, 2026 at 9:35am

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A serene, photorealistic painting of a solitary government worker's desk in an empty, sunlit office, conveying a sense of quiet contemplation and nostalgia for a bygone era of civil service.The DHS's new flexible work policies aim to provide more accommodating schedules for its 260,000 federal employees.Washington Today

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has announced that it will allow federal workers to have more flexible work schedules, reversing a previous policy that required most employees to work in the office five days a week. This change comes under new DHS leadership, with Markwayne Mullin becoming the new Homeland Security Secretary in March.

Why it matters

The shift in DHS work policies will affect the daily routines of the agency's 260,000 employees, representing a softening of earlier strict in-office requirements. This change also follows similar flexible work policy updates at other federal agencies, reflecting a broader trend toward more accommodating work arrangements for government staff.

The details

Under the new DHS policies, workers will be able to take advantage of alternative work schedule options, such as flexible hours and compressed work weeks. This is a departure from the previous administration's executive order in 2025 that banned federal employees from working remotely and required most to be in the office five days a week.

  • In April 2025, the DHS ended flexible work arrangements and required most employees to return to the office full-time.
  • In January 2025, the Trump administration issued an executive order banning federal staff from working from home.
  • In March 2026, Markwayne Mullin became the new Secretary of Homeland Security, replacing Kristi Noem.

The players

Markwayne Mullin

The new Secretary of Homeland Security, appointed in March 2026.

Kristi Noem

The previous Secretary of Homeland Security, who was the first Cabinet secretary to be fired from Trump's second administration.

Donald Trump

The former president who issued an executive order in 2025 banning federal employees from working remotely.

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What they’re saying

“Under new leadership, DHS reexamined its alternative work schedule policies to align with the vast majority of other federal agencies. This allows our workers to have [a] more flexible work schedule.”

— DHS Spokesperson

What’s next

The DHS did not provide specifics on the new flexible work policies, but they are expected to align with common federal agency practices that allow for options like flexible hours and compressed work weeks.

The takeaway

The DHS shift toward more flexible work arrangements for federal employees reflects a broader trend across the government to accommodate worker preferences and align with modern workplace practices, in contrast with the previous administration's strict in-office mandates.