SHOW UP Act Mandates Return to Pre-Pandemic Telework Rules for Federal Agencies, Requires Cost-Benefit Analysis for Future Remote Work

The "Stopping Home Office Works Unproductive Problems Act of 2025" (or "SHOW UP Act of 2025") is forcing federal agencies to hit rewind on their telework policies. Within 30 days of this bill becoming law, every Executive agency must revert to the telework rules they had in place on December 31, 2019 – basically, pre-pandemic. That's the immediate change everyone will see (SEC. 3).

Back to the Office?

The core of the SHOW UP Act is about putting a tight leash on remote work within federal agencies. Before any agency can expand telework beyond those pre-2020 levels, they need to jump through a few hoops (SEC. 4):

1. The Deep Dive (aka The Study): Each agency has 180 days to produce a detailed study analyzing everything about how expanded telework during the pandemic affected them. This includes:
   • Did it hurt their ability to do their job and serve the public? (SEC. 4(a)(1)(A))
   • Did it cost them money in unused office space or because they were paying people as if they lived in more expensive areas? (SEC. 4(a)(1)(B))
   • Did they fail to give teleworkers secure networks, good communication tools, access to data, and the right equipment? (SEC. 4(a)(1)(C))
   • Did it spread their workforce out across the country? (SEC. 4(a)(1)(D))
   • Anything else relevant. (SEC. 4(a)(1)(E))
2. The Plan: Agencies have to create a plan detailing how they want to use telework moving forward, if it expands beyond pre-pandemic levels. (SEC. 4(a)(2))
3. The Gatekeeper (aka The Certification): The Director of the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) has to certify that the agency's plan will:
   • Positively affect the agency's performance, customer service, and workforce distribution. (SEC. 4(a)(3)(A)(i))
   • Significantly reduce real estate costs. (SEC. 4(a)(3)(A)(ii))
   • Significantly lower costs related to "locality pay" (extra pay for employees in high-cost areas) if employees are working outside that area. (SEC. 4(a)(3)(A)(iii))
   • Make sure teleworkers have secure networks, communication tools, data access, and equipment, without significantly increasing overall costs. (SEC. 4(a)(3)(A)(iv))

Real-World Rollout

So, what does this mean in practice? If you're a federal employee who's been enjoying working from home, your agency is required to roll back to 2019 telework rules, at least temporarily. Imagine a software developer at the Department of Agriculture who relocated to Montana during the pandemic. Under this law, they might be forced to return to a D.C. office, or at least work from home under the old rules, which might be more restrictive.

Agencies can propose new telework plans, but they need that OPM certification. If the Director doesn't like the plan, it goes back to the drawing board. Agencies can revise and resubmit, but ultimately, OPM has the power to say "yes" or "no" to expanded telework. (SEC. 4(b))

The Challenges

This bill introduces a few potential hurdles. First, that 30-day deadline to revert to old policies could be seriously disruptive. Second, the OPM certification creates a single point of control – and potential bottleneck – for telework policy across the entire federal government. Finally, the heavy emphasis on cost reduction (real estate and locality pay) could lead to agencies prioritizing savings over employee well-being or even operational effectiveness. For example, a park ranger who's been effectively working remotely from a rural area might be forced back to an office just to save on locality pay, even if it makes their job harder.

The Bigger Picture

The SHOW UP Act also fits into the existing legal framework for federal telework, as defined in title 5, United States Code, section 6501 (SEC. 2). It specifically includes "remote work" under the umbrella of "telework," so there's no loophole there. The bill defines the "Director" as the head of OPM, and "agency" refers to Executive agencies (SEC. 2). It's all very tightly defined, legally speaking.

The act is named the "Stopping Home Office Works Unproductive Problems Act of 2025," which is a mouthful, but it clearly signals the bill's intent: to address perceived problems with remote work in the federal government.