On February 27, the FDIC reportedly ordered all employees to return to the office by the end of March, with few exceptions, as part of a workforce reduction plan. According to an all-staff email from Daniel H. Bendler, the Corporation’s deputy to the chairman and chief operating officer, employees must report to the Washington, D.C., headquarters, or a regional or field office within a 50-mile radius of their homes, starting Monday, March 31. This return-to-office mandate coincided reported plans to downsize the agency. In addition to the return-to-office mandate, it was reported that around 500 employees at the FDIC, about 8 percent of its workforce, have accepted a deferred resignation offer as part of the Trump administration’s broader plan to overhaul the agency. Additionally, around 170 probationary employees were reportedly fired. The FDIC is expected to further reduce its workforce as part of a reported reduction-in-force plan initiated by the Trump administration.

Earlier this month, FDIC Acting Chairman, Travis Hill, reportedly mentioned during an all-hands staff meeting that the Corporation “will be smaller” following the restructuring. The Office of Personnel Management (OPM) reportedly required federal agencies to submit workforce reduction plans by March 11.