Staffers for the Democratic National Committee (DNC) are in uproar, as the new chair, Ken Martin, announced in an all-staff meeting on Wednesday that employees are expected to return to in-person work at the DNC headquarters in February, more than two years after the end of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Complaints began immediately, according to the New York Times, with the DNC's union representatives describing the move, which granted a 60-day notice, as "callous" by the end of the day.
This is hilarious.
— kiersten pels (@KierstenPels) November 13, 2025
DNC staffers are “shocked” at being expected to show up to work during a midterm campaign cycle
The best part is that they still get two full months before they actually have to get out of bed 5 days week
Is this a political committee or a daycare? https://t.co/Nsjb8Z4EpX pic.twitter.com/8Db7QD8ELd
Martin addressed the complaints, telling staffers that if they didn't like his policy, they should begin seeking new employment. According to people familiar with the meeting, the DNC chair said the return to work policy had been a “Band-Aid” that was long overdue in being ripped off.
Staffers argued that the Democrats had won the 2020 election working remotely, and that they could do the same in 2028.
“It was shocking to see the D.N.C. chair disregard staff’s valid concerns on today’s team call,” the union’s leadership wrote in a statement to the New York Times. “D.N.C. staff worked extremely hard to support historic wins for Democrats up and down the ballot last Tuesday, and this change feels especially callous considering the current economic conditions created by the Trump administration.”
The growing unionization of Democratic campaigns has sparked quiet concern among party leaders, even as they publicly champion organized labor. Earlier this year, the Congressional Progressive Staff Association sent a letter to House and Senate leadership advocating for a 32-hour workweek, a proposal that drew sharp criticism from both Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
Democratic Representative Ritchie Torres of New York mocked the proposal, questioning how blue-collar Americans might perceive white-collar staffers calling for reduced hours and sarcastically suggesting a “0-hour workweek.”