The Abridged version:
- Tens of thousands of state workers will be required to work in person four days per week starting July 1 under an executive order from Gov. Gavin Newsom.
- From the Department of Motor Vehicles to the Department of Health Care Services, most state departments have indicated that they will comply with the mandate.
- Employee unions are opposing the mandate and a protest is planned for Wednesday afternoon to urge the adoption of telework policies.
After years of delays, the start of a contentious return-to-office mandate is imminent for state workers in the capital city.
Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order earlier this year, calling on state workers to return to working in offices four days a week, starting July 1. Despite protests, attempts at fixes in the state Legislature and efforts by California’s most powerful employee unions, the order is poised to go into effect Wednesday.
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State workers were ordered to work from home en masse during the COVID-19 pandemic. Those orders have slowly ebbed, with workers returning two days a week in 2024. The four-day-per-week order was initially set to go into effect last July but was delayed by a year.
Beyond extra cars on the road and the extra foot traffic Downtown businesses are hoping for, here’s what to expect with the return-to-office order right around the corner.
Are state workers really returning to offices July 1?
Yes, the mandate appears poised to go into effect.
While nearly all of the state departments are aiming to see workers in the office four days per week, there’s a patchwork of exceptions.
At the Employment Development Department, some groups will have to be phased back into the office due to a lack of workstations, and the department is exempting all of its call center units from the mandate.
The California Department of Education, which urgently told employees to work from home due to a suspected bedbug infestation, will continue at its two-days-per-week schedule through January 2027.
Some departments, like the Department of Developmental Services, are keeping only their Southern California employees remote. Others, like the Department of Child Support, are keeping all of their employees on a flexible telework schedule.
Who’s exempt from the mandate?
Most departments are granting exemptions on a case-by-case basis.
Employees who live more than 50 miles away from their offices will be allowed to continue working from home, as will those who require accommodations due to a disability. The California Department of Human Resources issued guidance last year that exemptions should be based on “individual circumstances and the specific needs” of each department.
Why are state workers fighting the order?
State workers opposing the order have argued that they remained productive through telework policies that had them working remotely most of the week, balanced with two days a week in the office. Others have said working remotely allows them to save money on transportation and childcare costs.
Telework proponents also point to a state audit, which found that keeping state workers in the office only two days a week could save the state $225 million annually.
SEIU Local 1000, which represents 96,000 state workers, is demanding higher wages to compensate for the costs associated with working in person. The union is demanding a 20% increase over the next three years in its current contract negotiations.
Why is Newsom pushing for in-person work?
Newsom is in a tug-of-war with the state’s most powerful unions as he mandates that workers return to the office.
After delivering the executive order in March, the governor cited relationship building as his reasoning for the order.
“When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases,” Newsom said in a statement at the time. “That means better service, better solutions, and better results for Californians, while still allowing flexibility.”
Since 2022, Sacramento’s local leaders have also urged for the return of office workers Downtown to see its much-awaited revitalization. Michael Ault, the executive director of the Downtown Sacramento Partnership, called state workers “the heart and soul” of the district earlier this year.
What’s the status of the telework bill in the Legislature?
Opponents of the return-to-office mandate are looking to Assembly Bill 1729 as one form of relief. The bill, which is backed by many of the state’s employee unions, would require all state agencies to develop telework plans for their workers. The plans would have to provide a detailed justification for in-person work.
The telework bill was passed by the Assembly but has not been voted on by the Senate. If the Legislature approves the bill, it would still require the governor’s signature.
Felicia Alvarez is a reporter at Abridged covering accountability. She’s called Sacramento home since 2015 and has reported on government, healthcare and breaking news topics for both local and national news outlets.