Equal Exemption Initiative
100% P&T spouses receive the exemption. Why doesn't the 100% P&T veteran?
Our Mission
The Equal Exemption Initiative is dedicated to securing for 100% Permanent and Total service-connected disabled veterans the same categorical remote-work protections already extended to military and veteran spouses in federal service; achieving parity and respect for those who have sacrificed the most.
A federal government where every 100% Permanent and Total service-connected disabled veteran is afforded the same categorical RTO exemption and equal treatment already extended to eligible military and 100% P&T veteran spouses in jobs that are able to be performed remotely or via telework; allowing those who have already sacrificed for our nation to continue serving without unnecessary barriers that further exacerbate their service connected disabilities.
The Double Standard
Military or eligible 100% P&T veteran spouse
- Automatic categorical exemption
- No medical documentation
- No annual review
- No uncertainty
- Exemption by policy
100% P&T veteran
- Must request an accommodation
- Multiple medical records
- Repeated reviews
- Constant uncertainty and high chance of denial even after years of successful work in a position they accepted the job offer as remote
- Discretion by agency
- Veterans medical provider can state no accommodation other than telework will eliminate barriers, however a DMO with no medical degree makes a determination against the Veterans health professional, ordering them back into the office.
The Remote Work Reality
- Many 100% P&T veterans were hired remotely, trained remotely, promoted remotely, received Outstanding or Exceptional performance ratings remotely. They are now forced into a reasonable accommodations process full of uncertainty that causes further harm to their physical and mental disabilities.
If an employee has already demonstrated they can successfully perform the essential functions remotely, what government interest is served by forcing an in-person return for that same position?
Real-World Examples
Housebound Veteran
VA determined the veteran was substantially confined to the home because of service-connected disabilities. After well over a year in the accommodation process, the employee was ordered back into the office despite years of successful remote work, by the same agency that rated them homebound.
CDC Employee
A service-disabled veteran with PTSD submitted documentation from a VA psychiatrist explaining that crowds and noise aggravated the condition. Remote work was rescinded and the employee ordered back to office.
Department of Justice
Employees with documented serious medical conditions had previously approved accommodations revoked and later filed Rehabilitation Act lawsuits after being ordered back to the office.
Federal Disabled Veteran RTO Advocacy Toolkit
A do-it-yourself kit for 100% P&T disabled veterans in federal service who want the same return-to-office protection their spouses already receive.
Leave-behind for VSOs and congressional staff; explains the gap, cost, and ask.
Template letter to send to your two U.S. Senators and House Representative.
Cover note for submitting the brief to a relevant congressional committee.
Model resolution language to run through a veterans service organization chapter.
Ready-to-edit posts to find affected veterans and recruit advocates.
The problem, in short
When the federal return-to-office (RTO) directive went into effect, OPM granted a categorical exemption to military and Foreign Service spouses, including the spouse of a servicemember rated 100% disabled on the date of discharge. That spouse keeps remote work automatically. The disabled veteran in the same household gets no equivalent protection.
The veteran's only routes are the reasonable accommodation (RA) process under the Rehabilitation Act, which does not accept a VA rating as documentation, requires re-justifying a permanent disability every year, and can be reassessed and revoked at the agency's discretion, or a rarely granted discretionary agency-head exemption. The spouse gets it by category. The veteran has to fight for it, and can lose.
This is a policy gap, not illegal discrimination. The spouse benefit comes from military family-readiness policy, not disability law, so it cannot be fixed by an EEO complaint. It takes advocacy and, ultimately, a policy or a law written for disabled veterans.
What we are asking for
Three steps, in order of how quickly they could happen:
- Accept a VA permanent and total (P&T) rating as sufficient documentation of a service-connected permanent disability, and end annual re-justification of permanent conditions. (Administrative, fastest.)
- A categorical RTO exemption for 100% P&T veterans equal to the one spouses already have, with no restriction based on the date the rating began. (Administrative.)
- A statutory remote-work authority for disabled veterans as a class, modeled on the military spouse hiring authority at 5 U.S.C. 3330d. (Legislative, most durable.)
What is in this toolkit
- One-Page Brief (template). The leave-behind for a VSO legislative office or a congressional staffer. Lays out the gap, the legal basis, the cost, and the ask. Add your own story in the marked section.
- Congressional Letter (template). One letter you adapt and send to each of your two U.S. Senators and your U.S. House Representative.
- Committee Submission (template). A short cover note for submitting the brief to a relevant congressional committee.
- VSO Resolution (template). Model resolution language to run through a veterans service organization chapter so a national org carries the ask for you.
- Social Posts (template). A public post to find other affected veterans and a recruiting post for federal-employee or EEO groups.
Recommended sequence
- Post in a relevant community to find other affected veterans. Give people one place to land (a group, a form, or a DM) so responses do not scatter.
- Start a story bank. Collect short, anonymized accounts: rating, agency, state, and what happened. Numbers and faces move offices more than argument.
- Send the congressional letters to your own senators and representative.
- Join a VSO you are eligible for, attend a chapter meeting, and ask about submitting the resolution. Find out the next convention date and submission deadline early.
- Send the brief, with your story filled in, to the VSO's legislative office and to relevant committees.
- Coordinate. One letter is noise. Many letters from many states in the same window is a pattern.
How to find your representatives and a VSO
U.S. Senators: senate.gov. U.S. House Representative: house.gov/representatives/find-your-representative (enter your ZIP). Most offices take constituent mail through a webform on their official .gov site and will ask for your address to confirm you are a constituent.
Most major veterans service organizations (DAV, VFW, American Legion, AMVETS, PVA) set legislative priorities through member resolutions that begin at the local chapter level. Join one you are eligible for, attend a meeting, and ask about the resolution process. Dues vary, some charge a one-time life membership and others modest annual dues, so check before joining.
Protect yourself
If you are a federal employee, do this advocacy as a veteran and private citizen, on your own time, not in your official capacity and not using your title, position, or government equipment. Petitioning Congress as a citizen is your right; leaning on your official role is the line to avoid. If you have an approved accommodation, weigh your own visibility before putting your agency's name in writing.
▸ This toolkit is general information, not legal advice. For your specific situation, consult an attorney, and for questions about advocacy as a federal employee, your agency ethics official.
Facts & Sources
The Rationale Does Not Hold Up
Telework demonstrated immense resilience during the COVID-19 pandemic, maintaining federal operations without interruption while proving that agency missions could be fulfilled outside a traditional office setting.
Productivity metrics remained stable or increased during periods of expanded telework, contradicting claims that in-person presence is required for successful collaboration or performance management.
Telework has driven historic gains in disability employment, providing a flexible framework that allows the federal government to tap into a wider talent pool of qualified professionals who may face barriers in a standard office environment.
The Cost to Taxpayers
The CDC reportedly spent $200M on a facility while most employees worked remotely, highlighting wasteful real estate spending unrelated to mission delivery or employee performance.
Forcing employees back to physical offices yields no documented taxpayer savings and increases overhead costs for aging federal buildings that require maintenance and security.
A projected $71B real estate overhaul and the potential departure of 348,219 employees represent a massive financial and human capital risk to the nation.
The Cost to the Government
"Brain drain" occurs as seasoned federal professionals leave for the private sector in response to rigid RTO mandates, resulting in a critical loss of institutional knowledge.
Federal employee surveys consistently show that telework and flexible work arrangements are top factors in recruitment, retention, and overall job satisfaction across the civil service.
The Harm to Disabled Veterans
Veterans are disproportionately represented in the federal workforce, comprising roughly 30% of all federal employees, making RTO policies a veteran-specific issue.
The HHS backlog was effectively targeted through remote work, allowing specialized staff to process cases more efficiently without office-based distractions.
The CDC has recently moved to remove telework as a categorical reasonable accommodation, creating significant new barriers for staff with documented service-connected disabilities.
A veteran with service-connected PTSD had their remote work status rescinded despite documented medical evidence that office environments aggravate their condition.
Cases involving pregnancy and high-risk medical conditions have seen prior successes overturned by rigid return-to-office directives.
The Department of Justice faces ongoing lawsuits under the Rehabilitation Act for revoking previously approved medical accommodations during the transition to in-person work.
Recent EEOC decisions emphasize that agencies must provide evidence-based justifications before denying telework as a reasonable accommodation for permanent disabilities.
OPM has issued warnings regarding the potential loss of veteran talent if rigid RTO policies ignore individual disability and wellness needs.
Veterans rated as "housebound" by the VA have been ordered to report to physical offices, directly contradicting the medical status determined by the government itself.
Sources
Federal News Network
GAO Reports on Telework
OPM Federal Employee Viewpoint Survey
EEOC Rehabilitation Act Case Law
VA Disability Statistics
CDC Internal Policy Memos