Sydney Monger resigned from the IRS after enduring a rat infestation in one of the agency’s suburban Atlanta offices for several months. But why were employees required to work in those conditions in the first place?
Inside the Atlanta IRS Facility: Whistleblower Details Severe Workplace Safety Violations
According to Monger, some of her coworkers started sitting on top of their desks to avoid rats from scurrying over their feet.
“They’re just out and terrorizing everybody, running over people’s feet, falling out of ceilings,” Monger told WSB-TV Atlanta.
Video and photo evidence obtained by the outlet showed rat droppings on the floor, dead rats in traps, and dead rats under desks and in a trash can.
The IRS issued a statement saying that it plans to address the problem.
“Like any large building in an urban environment, it can face pest-related challenges. The IRS is working to investigate and remediate the situation,” the agency added.
But for Monger, the IRS’s “investigation” wasn’t enough; the former IRS employee said that after a coworker became ill, she decided to get the hell out of dodge.
“I’m scared to bring something back to my kids, you know?” she said. “I got babies; I can’t be playing. There’s already viruses out there,” the mother told WSBTV.
The Modern Case for Remote Work Amid Federal Return-to-Office Mandates
In this volatile economy, where more than 300,000 Black women lost their jobs last year, no Black woman should be forced to choose between keeping a paycheck and protecting her children’s health. We already proved in 2020 that remote work is not only possible but effective.
Employees reported better work–life balance and greater flexibility when working remotely, and productivity increased among remote workers, according to data collected by Job Leads. Additionally, employees save an average of $6000 annually on commuting, meals, and wardrobe expenses, the study showed.
Despite these findings, many employers remain resistant to remote work, citing outdated ideas about culture and visibility that prioritize their comfort over employees’ well-being.
After the establishment of Trump’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), its then-leaders Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy penned a joint op-ed in the Wall Street Journal promising to crack down on remote work amongst federal workers.
“Requiring federal employees to come to the office five days a week would result in a wave of voluntary terminations that we welcome,” they wrote.
The DOGE crackdown seems to be what’s at play here, but at the bare minimum, employees should be able to work remotely when workplace conditions are unsafe or inhumane.
Remote work has already been proven effective. Refusing to offer it, especially in the face of clear health risks, isn’t about productivity; it’s about control.
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