WASHINGTON (DC News Now) -- Hundreds of thousands of federal workers in the DMV are being told to return to in-person work, full-time. President Donald Trump signed that executive order Monday, hoping to fill empty office space all over D.C. DC Police Union expresses ‘dismay’ over Trump pardons of Jan. 6 rioters Heads of all departments and agencies in the executive branch of Government shall, as soon as practicable, take all necessary steps to terminate remote work arrangements and require employees to return to work in-person at their respective duty stations on a full-time basis, provided that the department and agency heads shall make exemptions they deem necessary. This memorandum shall be implemented consistent with applicable law. Executive Order signed by President Donald J. Trump It drew cheers from supporters, but skepticism from others. "It's going to be too hard, ADA accommodations, some agencies can't accommodate the number of staff. So I think it's not gonna happen any time soon," said one worker downtown who's a former contractor. Markilla King is a federal worker and understands why it's happening. "Because there's all these empty buildings around here, and the merchants, restaurants and everything are losing their money. I get that. I do," King said. But King said teleworking and remote work is a quality of life issue. "I think they need to keep that in mind before they just sign that away," King said. "That's not fair. But I come into work every day. I telework if I need to." The reality is that 54% of all federal workers aren't eligible for telework. "For the 46% or so that are eligible for those who are on a telework program or eligible for it, they're there an average more than three out of five days a week in the office," said Randy Erwin, national president of the National Federation of Federal Employees, the union representing 110,000 federal workers. Crowd gathers outside DC jail following pardon of January 6 inmates "Telework is provisions of collective bargaining agreements and executive orders do not override collective bargaining agreements," Erwin said. "But only a little over half the people in the federal government are covered by a collective bargaining agreement." He calls it "political nonsense" for a currently productive workforce. He worries many will decide to leave the federal government over the new mandate. "They're kind of viewing it as some kind of positive, that people are going to be forced out of their government jobs," Erwin said. "No, that's in the in the end, that's going to cost the taxpayers more than if we retain." He said that's because it costs a lot to recruit employees, especially because the private sector pays much higher wages for some of the same jobs. "It's those family-friendly type policies, like a decent telework program that keeps people around," Erwin said. "If they do away with those … you're certainly not going to be able to recruit and retain the best and brightest." Maryland Attorney General: Trump’s executive order on transgender rights ‘threatens people’s lives’ There's also a concern about the congestion commuters will face. "There's a lot of people that have one-and-a-half, two-hour commutes," Erwin said. "You force them in, they're going to be beat before they even get to the job. They're going to be unhappy."