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GAO Telework Report: What SSA Employees Need to Know

employee retention federal telework federal workforce gao report social security administration Feb 02, 2026

A new Government Accountability Office (GAO) report on federal telework is already circulating inside the Social Security Administration (SSA), and it deserves close attention from federal employees across government. Although the report focuses on SSA, its conclusions speak directly to a broader question many employees are asking as telework is rolled back: is this really about performance, or something else entirely?

The GAO’s findings cut through much of the noise. They do not read like an ideological defense of remote work, nor do they endorse blanket return-to-office mandates. Instead, the report does what GAO does best—trace outcomes back to evidence, systems, and planning gaps. Three points stand out.

Telework Was a Real Retention Tool—and Its Loss Has Consequences

First, GAO confirms what many SSA employees have experienced firsthand: telework materially supported recruitment and retention. Managers told GAO that telework helped SSA attract candidates, and that reduced flexibility is now contributing to the risk of skills gaps in critical roles. Employees with in-demand expertise are seeking positions elsewhere in the federal government that offer greater flexibility.

This matters because retention is not an abstract HR concept. When experienced staff leave, institutional knowledge goes with them. From a workforce-planning perspective, telework was not a perk—it was a stabilizing mechanism. Removing it without an alternative strategy predictably increases attrition.

GAO Does Not Blame Telework for Service Delays

Second, the report directly undermines a common talking point: that telework caused SSA’s service backlogs. GAO does not reach that conclusion. Instead, it reports that SSA officials pointed to other drivers of delays, including the learning curve associated with a new disability processing system and the growing volume and complexity of medical evidence.

The takeaway is subtle but important. GAO is signaling to Congress that SSA’s service challenges are multi-factor problems. Simplifying them into a “telework equals poor performance” narrative ignores operational realities—and risks masking the real fixes needed to improve service delivery.

SSA Lacks a Current Plan to Protect Mission-Critical Staffing

The most consequential finding may be GAO’s observation that SSA does not have an updated human capital plan aligned with its new telework posture. In plain terms, GAO is warning that SSA is changing workplace rules without a clear plan to identify, retain, and protect mission-critical staff.

GAO formally recommends that SSA update its human capital plan and evaluate its telework program so staffing decisions are evidence-based rather than reactive. For employees and unions, this is significant. It frames telework not as an employee convenience, but as a variable that directly affects mission capacity.

Why This Report Travels Beyond SSA

For SSA employees, the message to Congress is straightforward: flexibility cannot be cut, staffing reduced, and service expectations increased without consequences. For federal employees elsewhere, the report offers something equally valuable—a credible, nonpartisan document linking telework policy to retention and mission outcomes.

When anxiety rises around shifting workplace rules, grounding advocacy in clear evidence helps restore a sense of agency. GAO has now put that evidence on the record.

Additional analysis of the report’s most useful language—and what it means for employee representatives—can be found through ongoing guidance shared in the firm’s federal employee resources.

Legal Disclaimer: The information provided in this article is for informational purposes only and should not be construed as legal advice. While I am a federal employment attorney, this post does not create an attorney-client relationship. Every situation is unique, and legal outcomes depend on specific facts and circumstances.

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