The IRS has told thousands of its employees that they're needed back in the office as soon as Monday — and they'll need to bring their own masks because the agency may not have enough for them.
, the chairman of the Ways and Means panel, Rep. Richard Neal, D-Mass., and Ways and Means Oversight Subcommittee Chairman John Lewis, D-Ga., said the IRS's demand is"especially troubling" given that earlier this week, Commissioner Charles Rettig informed congressional staff that 100 IRS employees have been diagnosed with COVID-19, and four of the agency's employees have died due to the virus.
The lawmakers said the IRS should not require any employees it deems essential to report to work until it can provide them with the protective equipment they are required to wear.The National Treasury Employees Union, which represents many IRS workers, said it"appreciates" that the agency has first asked for volunteers, who will receive incentive pay, to return to the workplace.
The"mission critical" responsibilities that the returning IRS employees perform include opening taxpayer correspondence, handling tax documents, taking taxpayer telephone calls and performing other functions related to the filing season.The union said if there are not enough volunteers,"the agency will direct employees to return to the workplace."
The workers are needed at 10 IRS offices around the country. It's apparently the first large-scale recall of employees sent home by the federal government since the start of the pandemic.
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