IRS Faces Lawsuit Over Telework Policy Violations

• •NTEU has filed a lawsuit against the IRS for failing to restore telework as ordered by arbitration.
• •The IRS's refusal to comply with the arbitration ruling is claimed to violate the Administrative Procedure Act.
• •The IRS previously rescinded its collective bargaining agreement with NTEU, complicating the legal landscape.

The National Treasury Employees Union (NTEU) has filed a lawsuit against the IRS, claiming the agency unlawfully refused to restore telework for employees despite a third-party arbitration ruling mandating it. The lawsuit, filed in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia, argues that the IRS's actions violate the Administrative Procedure Act. This legal challenge follows a July arbitration decision that found the IRS had breached its collective bargaining agreement by enforcing a return-to-office policy. NTEU asserts that the IRS has not taken steps to challenge the arbitration ruling and has instructed managers to ignore it. The IRS had previously rescinded its collective bargaining agreement with NTEU, which complicates the situation further. NTEU maintains that employees have successfully teleworked for years and that the IRS's refusal to comply with the arbitration decision is illegal.