Military families sought exemption from the directive as the blunt exercise of power proved uniquely disruptive for federal workers married to service members.

Spouses of active-duty service members and overseas foreign service officers are exempt from return to the office mandates, OPM said.

Federal workers who are spouses of some military and Foreign Service members are exempt from return to office policies, the Trump administration said on Wednesday. Why it matters: The administration has used executive orders and buyouts to crack down remote employees as part of its broader overhaul of the federal workforce.

The new memo clarifies a footnote in a Jan. 27 Office of Management and Budget announcement that said agencies should "exclude military spouses working remotely based on the Military Spouse Employment Act.