OPM chief admits staging video at home to avoid remote-work criticism
Office of Personnel Management Director Scott Kupor revealed he filmed a recent agency video against a blank wall in his bedroom to hide that he was working from home.
In a recorded segment of an August 18 agency-wide call, OPM Director Scott Kupor confessed that he deliberately positioned his camera in front of a white wall in his bedroom to disguise his remote location for a "Federal Friday" update. He queried communications employee Kiki Nyoh about the video’s appearance, likening it to a jail cell, and noted the difficulty of finding an unrecognizable corner. Nyoh responded that Kupor was not considered teleworking because he was on a day off, emphasizing his around-the-clock work ethic.
The episode highlights the broader federal return-to-office campaign championed by the Trump administration, which issued an executive order on the first day of Trump’s 2025 term directing agencies to end remote work and set full-time in-person requirements. OPM has been reallocating previously remote staff back to office spaces, and a 2026 survey shows most federal workers view the return negatively, citing worsened work-life balance.
Why it matters
It shows how top officials may conceal remote work while enforcing strict return-to-office policies on federal staff.
In this story
