USDA whistleblower says Biden administration's telework policies are 'impersonal and inefficient' and hamper productivity as taxpayer-paid employees are often unreachable for HOURS and ignore 'simple' email questions

A federal employee whistleblower is sounding the alarm on the Biden administration's widespread telework policies that are fostering an 'impersonal and inefficient' work environment.

The federal worker wrote to Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, late last year according to a copy of the correspondence obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com.

The employee, who describes themself as a supervisor at the U.S. Department of Agriculture, says full-time remote work and telework is 'negatively affecting productivity, efficiency, and cooperation.'

They say that the 'vast majority' of USDA employees are working remotely, and the unused federal office headquarters resembles a 'ghost town' with empty hallways and vacant offices.

The USDA was found to be at only 11 percent occupied between January and March 2023 and more than 75 percent of the available office space at 17 different federal agencies is still empty, according to the Government Accountability Office (GAO).

In addition to unused physical office space, employees are facing productivity challenges due to the impersonal nature of remote work. 

A current U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) whistleblower wrote to Sen. Joni Ernst, R-Iowa, late last year according to a copy of the correspondence obtained exclusively by DailyMail.com

President Joe Biden, joined by US Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack, tours Dutch Creek Farms in Northfield, Minnesota, on November 1

The biggest issue, according to the whistleblower, is how limited in-person interaction is 'hampering productivity.'

Remote employees 'are often unreachable and do not respond to simple email questions for hours,' the whistleblower continues.

'This leads to inefficiency in completing tasks in a timely manner and to delays in clearing documents and reports due to the inability to reach colleagues.'

In addition, the lack of in-person work is 'hindering discussions' regarding problem solving, idea generation and socializing with colleagues. 

As a supervisor, the whistleblower says it's an 'obstacle' to the 'simple act' of earning trust and confidence.  

'Working by email and video conferencing is impersonal and inefficient compared to in-person interaction.'

The whistleblower says having employees back in the office full-time would 'restore productivity and efficiency.'

Ernst plans to aggressively question Agriculture Department Sec. Tom Vilsack today about the revelations outlined by the whistleblower. He is testifying before the Senate Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry Committee.

She tells DailyMail.com that Biden's 'ghost town should be on the auction block.'

'While taxpayers are still on the hook paying for bureaucrats' salaries and amenities, a USDA supervisor confirmed that not only are its employees failing to show up, they are not working productively or efficiently for the American people,' she continues. 

The Iowa senator also suggested that Biden move USDA's headquarters to the midwest 'heartland' if they are going to continue to waste money on unused office space. 

Unused federal office space wastes an estimated of $2.8 million per day, and is becoming a huge headache for Biden who is attempting to bring back employees to in-person work.

Ernst plans to aggressively question Agriculture Department Sec. Tom Vilsack today on the topic

Biden's Chief of Staff Jeff Zients also ordered Cabinet heads to ensure that their workforce returns to the office this year.

According to a memo obtained by DailyMail.com, he wrote last month that federal employees should be in the office at least 50 percent of their work time in order to achieve the goals of the administration.

He highlighted the State Department's 'expectation' that all employees are in the office at least 3-4 times per week because there's 'no substitute' for 'engaging face-to-face' when it comes to diplomacy.

But he also acknowledged that 'some of your agencies are not where they need to be.'

Ernst and other lawmakers say billions of taxpayer dollars have been wasted based on unused federal office space.

That's a staggering statistic since federal agencies spend about $2 billion taxpayer dollars per year to operate and maintain federal office buildings - and over $5 billion annually in leases.