DNC staff slam ‘callous’ return-to-office rule leading to online mockery

Democratic National Committee staffers were mercilessly mocked this week after news broke that employees were very unhappy with DNC Chairman Ken Martin’s recent order to end remote work for employees who are now required to come into the office five days a week.

Leadership of the union representing DNC employees released a statement following news of the new directive, calling it “callous.” Reports from those involved in the staff-wide call also revealed a sudden outburst of thumbs-down emojis and other signs of anger upon news of the new requirement.

“It was shocking to see the DNC chair ignore valid staff concerns in today’s team call,” they wrote. “DNC staff worked extremely hard to support Democrats’ historic up- and down-ballot victories last Tuesday, and this change feels especially callous given the current economic conditions created by the Trump administration.” Martin reportedly told employees that if they didn’t like the new policy, they should find work elsewhere.

And Martin wasn’t the only Democrat with harsh words for Democratic Party staffers. Neera Tanden, former President Joe Biden’s domestic policy adviser, had a similar message to DNC staffers, suggesting there were plenty of eager people waiting in line who would be more than willing to head to the office.

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In her post about X, Tanden wrote: “If you think democracy is in danger, working in the office isn’t a big deal.”

The Center for New Liberalism, a left-wing group, reiterated its view that staff “should look elsewhere” if working from home is “essential”.

“When you accept a job on a campaign or at an organization like the DNC, DCCC, etc., your sole goal is to win the election. This is hard work that requires long hours and sacrifices,” the group wrote to X. [work from home] Staff are probably missing opportunities by not being in the office. Campaigns require a lot of personal sacrifice, but people who are good at their jobs and work to get noticed in the office tend to go on to do great work!”

Florida-based Democratic strategist Steve Schale, who led Barack Obama’s statewide effort in Florida in 2008 and returned to help his campaign in 2012, said the DNC should implement a “requirement” to ensure those who want to work at the DNC actually have what it takes.

“To work for the DNC, you must have done at least two cycles in an actual battlefield operation, where terms like flexible hours and hybrid work do not exist,” Schale wrote to X.

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A man is seen walking in front of the Democratic National Committee’s headquarters in Washington, DC (Photo: Kevin Dietsch/Getty Images)

Meanwhile, Republicans did not miss the opportunity to criticize Democratic Party employees harshly.

“You can’t make up for it; the DNC union is pissed that the President is calling staff back to the office 5 days a week,” Trump’s former White House press secretary, Sean Spicer, said after learning of the outrage. GOP strategist Matt Gorman said the image of DNC staffers logging into a Zoom call in their pajamas amid all the chaos from Biden’s re-election was “hilarious.”

“The best part is they still have two full months before they have to get out of bed 5 days a week,” said GOP National Press Secretary Kiersten Pels. “Is this a political committee or a nursery?”

Martin reportedly told his staff that the work-from-home policy the DNC implemented during COVID would never be permanent, describing it as a “Band-Aid” that has long needed to be ripped off. However, he said remote working will still be allowed on a case-by-case basis.

Neera Tanden, one of former President Joe Biden’s top White House advisers, was among Democrats who criticized DNC staffers for being upset about having to return to the office full time instead of working remotely. (Chandan Khanna/AFP via Getty Images)

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The staff union said it was considering all options in terms of appealing the measure. The group previously approved a collective bargaining agreement with the DNC over the summer that “reaffirmed its commitment to enabling hybrid work,” but also included language allowing a full return to in-person work as long as there was a 60-day notice period, according to the New York Times.

Earlier this year, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association sent a letter to top House and Senate leaders proposing a rotating 32-hour work week for congressional staff, arguing that it would be “a more sustainable approach to working at the national level.”

But the proposal was widely ridiculed.

“Why don’t you be brave and demand a 0-hour work week?” he jokingly quipped to Rep. Ritchie Torres, D-N.Y., at the time. “I wonder what blue-collar Americans would think about white-collar workers demanding a 32-hour work week.”