All of Biden, Harris staff to return in-person in July

The staff for President Biden and Vice President Harris will be invited to return to work in-person and full time next month, a White House official confirmed Tuesday. 

Staff for both the White House office and office of the vice president will begin to transition to full-time on-campus work on July 6 through July 23, according to an email to staff from the White House Office of Management & Administration that comes as more and more coronavirus restrictions are lifted.

The White House will make exceptions for “any staffer with an extenuating circumstance that makes working in person not possible,” the email read. 

Staff who are currently working remotely or partially remote will be assigned an onboarding appointment in July, which will allow them to receive their badge and access to the office.

The email also told staff that additional resources on COVID-19 health and safety, plans for the phased reopening, office assignments, campus orientation and training opportunities will all be available “in the coming weeks.” 

The White House has offered vaccines to all employees, making them encouraged but not required. The email suggested staffers follow up with questions about COVID-19 testing and vaccinations, but did not mention vaccines further. 

Only a limited number of aides have been working physically from the White House campus full time since the start of the Biden administration in January.

The White House last week returned the James S. Brady Press Briefing Room to half capacity, double what it had been. 

The White House’s North Lawn went to 100 percent capacity for journalists and visitors, while indoor press workspace remains at 50 percent