The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau does not plan to immediately require regional employees to move to Washington, D.C., according to the National Treasury Employees Union chapter representing bureau workers. The development gives a temporary reprieve to employees who had faced relocation orders or the prospect of losing their jobs.
The union said in an email to members that the bureau has no short-term plan to issue new notices requiring remote employees to relocate. The email was obtained by The American Banker and described the decision as affecting about 450 employees who worked remotely or were assigned to former regional offices.
“No plans in the short term” — National Treasury Employees Union Chapter 335
The employees were connected to offices in Atlanta, Chicago, New York and San Francisco. The bureau closed those regional locations last year. About 200 regional staff members have left since the relocation order was issued during the summer, according to the report.
Relocation policy remains tied to broader CFPB changes
The decision comes as the CFPB faces uncertainty over its future leadership and organizational structure. The union said the bureau had threatened to fire workers who declined to move to Washington. The latest notice does not describe a permanent reversal of that policy. It indicates only that new relocation notices are not planned in the short term.
| Development | Reported figure or status |
|---|---|
| Employees affected by the relocation issue | About 450 |
| Regional staff who have left since the order | About 200 |
| Former regional offices | Atlanta, Chicago, New York and San Francisco |
The National Treasury Employees Union sued last year in an effort to keep the CFPB open and operating. This summer, the union and the bureau jointly sought and obtained a stay of that litigation concerning a proposed reduction in force. A stay pauses court proceedings while the parties address related developments.
Senate has not voted on nominee
The staffing dispute is also connected to the nomination of Brian Johnson to serve as CFPB director. The Senate Banking, Housing and Urban Affairs Committee has voted to advance his nomination, but the full Senate had not voted on it as of the Oct. 27 report.
A confirmation vote could take place after the Nov. 3 midterm elections. If the Senate does not confirm Johnson before the end of the year, the nomination would return to President Donald Trump, and a new nomination would be required in 2027, according to the report.
For consumers, the staffing decision concerns the personnel and operating structure of the federal agency responsible for enforcing major consumer-finance laws and supervising many banks, lenders and other financial companies. The notice does not announce a new consumer rule, enforcement action or change to those laws. It describes the bureau’s current position on employee relocation while litigation and the director nomination remain unresolved.
- About 450 CFPB employees are covered by the immediate relocation issue.
- About 200 regional staffers have left since the summer order.
- The Senate has not yet voted on Brian Johnson’s nomination to lead the bureau.
