Federal agencies need communication strategies as employees return to offices

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) says federal agencies can mandate COVID-19 tests for their employees as they come back to the office. The CDC’s website says the government does not mandate vaccines.

Jeri Buchholz, former Chief Human Capital Officer at NASA, said agencies must develop comprehensive communication plans, bring employees back in phases and extend virtual work capabilities through at least the end of fiscal year 2022.

Daniel Meyer, Managing Partner at Tully Rinckey, said agencies cannot mandate employees to get a COVID-19 vaccine because of its fast, experimental rollout.

Buchholz advised agencies to embrace remote work as it is here to stay and would have come about anyway, most likely in the next ten years.