Transportation Security Administration officers tasked with verifying boarding passes and identification at airport checkpoints across the country will soon no longer be allowed to sit during their shifts.

According to the union representing TSA officers, the agency is removing all chairs from initial check-in positions, requiring employees to remain standing throughout their work hours.

The union strongly pushed back against the new rule, stating that chairs provide vital physical support for officers during long shifts. Representatives called the decision a step backward that defies standard workplace safety and basic common decency.

The policy shift comes roughly two months into the tenure of TSA Administrator David Cummins.

Neither the TSA nor the Department of Homeland Security has publicly commented on the rationale behind removing the chairs.