We reported last week the outrageous statistic that only 6% of federal workers have reported back to work in the office 40 hours a week despite that COVID ended three years ago and in open defiance of orders to get back to work.

Few agencies have worse attendance records than the Environmental Protection Agency.

Rows of empty office cubicles have convinced EPA honchos to transfer some of its empty prime real estate to other agencies, including even its huge headquarters building. Some of these offices may even get sold to private parties.

EPA’s space in the Federal Triangle area costs more than $90 million a year and accounts for 40 percent of the agency’s lease costs, even though it now sits mostly empty.

Federal rules require agencies to report facilities that are not meeting a 60% occupancy rate.

“To meet a 60% occupancy rate, EPA would have to release multiple buildings in the Federal Triangle,” one EPA director has concluded.

Let’s hope other federal agencies follow suit. Last year the Government Accountability Office found 17 out of 24 agencies used 25% or less of their office space.

There are today roughly 2.25 million federal employees. Surely that number could be cut in half given that most Americans who work hard should feel enraged that they are paying the salaries of people who are hardly working.