September 24, 2025
Local AFGE chapters call the CDC’s move to halt policy approval of long-term telework as a reasonable accommodation for disabled employees unlawful under federal disability rights law.
The American Federation of Government Employees (AFGE), the largest federal employee union, is calling out the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) for “the most sweeping civil rights violation” after forbidding remote work for disabled employees, citing a need for clarification from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).
The move has since been paused “pending clarification from the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and a review of its legality,” the AFGE said in a news release.
In January, the Office of Personnel Management handed down a rule stating federal employees would have to return to the office full-time, with an exception for those “excused due to a disability, qualifying medical condition, or other compelling reason certified by the agency head and the employee’s supervisor.”
Months later, HHS updated its telework or remote policy, failing to include telework as a reasonable accommodation for those with disabilities.
After a number of CDC employees—including reports that one pregnant employee suffered hospitalization from stress of the policy change—the CDC paused the rule. AFGE said that under the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, and the Americans with Disabilities Amendments Act (ADAAA) of 2008, guaranteed protections for employees are being violated, in addition to rules handed down by the Trump administration.
Chapter presidents claim the wait is leaving affected employees up in the air.
“If there’s any discussions happening, it’s happening between the CDC’s leadership and HHS, it’s not happening with the employees,” AFGE Local 2883 President Yolanda Jacobs said during an interview with NPR. “Employees are finding out secondhand and last minute.”
The new CDC memo stated the new telework policy took effect Aug. 13, but will wait for HHS to instruct on how to properly proceed with remote accommodations for disabled employees. “Until additional clarification is received,” pending approval requests will be “paused until further notice.”
Employees can still work remotely until current telework arrangements expire, but the stressors of “what if” are still apparent.
The union revealed that roughly 250 employees working at the CDC’s Atlanta headquarters have reached out to share their concerns about losing their telework arrangements.
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