OPM's Return-to-Office Director Filmed His Own Video From Home

Federal telework policy produced an uncomfortable moment this week: the OPM Director leading the government-wide return-to-office push acknowledged, on audio reported by Fortune, that he filmed one of his own official agency videos from his bedroom.

What the Audio Reportedly Shows

According to Fortune's August 20, 2026 reporting on audio from an OPM all-hands meeting, Director Scott Kupor described filming an installment of his "Federal Friday" video series at home. He said he was "in my bedroom," and that he went looking for "a plain corner with a white wall, which was not that easy to find," because he expected criticism if people could tell he was out of the office. He also asked his communications team whether the shot made it look like he was "stuck in a jail cell."

OPM's response, as reported, was that the Director was not teleworking that day — he was on a day off — and that he "works around the clock, including nights and weekends."

Why This Lands Hard for Federal Employees

The context is what gives the story its edge. Telework hours across the federal workforce are down more than 75 percent, and nearly 93 percent of surveyed federal employees say their work-life balance has gotten worse. Employees gave up remote arrangements, accepted reassignments, and added long commutes — often to take the same video calls from a different desk.

The Director's own blog post on the subject is titled "Why Showing Up Counts" and warns about "distractions that pervade at the home."

One point of legal honesty: none of this is unlawful. A gap between a policy and the policymaker's own practice is not, by itself, a violation of anything. But it is fair to name what the record shows, and it is worth being precise about what rights federal employees actually have here.

What Federal Telework Law Actually Says

The Telework Enhancement Act of 2010, Pub. L. No. 111-292, codified at 5 U.S.C. §§ 6501–6506, requires each agency to establish a telework policy, determine which employees are eligible, and notify employees of that determination. What it does not do is create an individual entitlement to telework. An agency can generally narrow or withdraw telework, and that decision standing alone is not ordinarily appealable.

Three things can change the analysis:

• Reasonable accommodation. If you need telework because of a disability, that is an accommodation request under the Rehabilitation Act, 29 U.S.C. § 791 — not a general telework request, and it should be made and documented as an accommodation request. Federal-sector discrimination complaints run through 29 C.F.R. Part 1614, which requires contact with an EEO counselor within 45 days of the action.
• Collective bargaining agreements. Bargaining-unit employees may have telework provisions in their contract, with grievance procedures to enforce them.
• How the change is delivered. A telework change packaged as a directed reassignment, a change in duty station, or a proposed adverse action carries its own procedural rights and its own deadlines.

What to Do if Your Arrangement Changed

• Get the change in writing, including the effective date and the stated reason. That date drives every deadline that follows.
• Keep your original telework agreement, your position description, and your performance record from the period you teleworked.
• If you have a medical need, submit the request in writing and label it as a request for reasonable accommodation.
• If you are in a bargaining unit, ask your union representative whether the contract's telework provisions were followed.

The Practical Takeaway

Frustration at a policy applied unevenly is a reasonable reaction. It is also not a legal claim on its own. The useful move is to keep the documentation that would matter if a return-to-office change turns into a reassignment, an accommodation dispute, or an adverse action — and to get advice early if it does.

If you are not sure what protections apply to your situation, the federal employee lawyers at Southworth PC represent federal employees nationwide.

Legal Disclaimer: This content is for general informational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Federal employment situations are fact-specific and time-sensitive. Please consult a qualified federal employment attorney about your specific situation.