WASHINGTON (AP) - Some federal workers back on the job Thursday morning were getting a personal welcome from Vice President Joe Biden. Biden greeted employees returning to the Environmental Protection Agency headquarters. Just a few blocks away at the White House, a smiling chief of staff Denis McDonough stood at an entrance to shake hands with returning aides. About three-quarters of White House workers and nearly all EPA employees were told to stay home during the 16-day federal government shutdown. They returned to the job Thursday after Congress reached a budget agreement. The EPA workers also got a welcome back memo from newly confirmed EPA Administrator Gina McCarthy. Among other things, it reminded them to remove "out of office" messages from email and voicemail.