Sun Mar 09 05:00:00 UTC 2025: ## VA Grants Veterans Crisis Line Full Exemption from Return-to-Office Mandate

**WASHINGTON, D.C. —** The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) has granted a full exemption to its return-to-office mandate for employees of the Veterans Crisis Line (VCL), ending a period of uncertainty for the largely remote workforce. The decision follows the recent rescinding and subsequent reinstatement of job offers for dozens of new hires after the VA initially lacked sufficient office space to accommodate them.

The exemption, announced Friday by VCL Executive Director Christopher Watson, comes in response to ongoing challenges in finding suitable office space for the majority-remote VCL staff. Many employees live far from existing VA facilities, and the 24/7 nature of the crisis line makes finding appropriate office space even more difficult.

This reversal comes after President Trump’s January 2020 memorandum requiring federal employees to return to in-person work. The VA initially rescinded telework agreements for roughly 20% of its employees, including some VCL hires, leading to the temporary withdrawal of job offers. The VA spokesperson previously stated that the agency’s policy was to bring employees back to the office “as space permits.”

AFGE Local 518, which represents up to 1,000 VCL employees, voiced concerns about the lack of available office space and the impracticality of requiring employees to commute long distances to meet the crisis line’s operational needs. The union highlighted that VCL employees had been working remotely since April 2020, with their official designation as remote workers confirmed in 2022.

The VA’s decision to grant the full exemption resolves the immediate crisis for VCL employees and ensures the continued operation of this vital service.

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