Sacramento, CA – Governor Gavin Newsom today signed an executive order requiring all state agencies and departments that still offer remote work to mandate a minimum of four in-person workdays per week, effective July 1. Exceptions will be available on a case-by-case basis.
“In-person work makes us all stronger—period,” Newsom stated. “When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases. That means better service, better solutions, and better results for Californians, while still allowing flexibility.”
The new directive is expected to escalate tensions between Newsom and labor unions representing public employees, who have previously opposed measures to curtail telework for the state workforce. Currently, approximately 95,000 employees are working remotely or in a hybrid setup, according to the governor’s office. Last April, Newsom called for a return to the office for at least two days per week, emphasizing the need for enhanced efficiency, mentorship, and supervision found in in-person settings.
The order argues that the advantages of in-person work have been compromised due to misaligned employee schedules and points to several prominent private sector employers who have also increased their in-person work requirements. However, the governor’s office did not provide comments regarding the timing of this mandate.
Legal challenges surrounding return-to-office orders are ongoing and are unlikely to cease with this latest executive decision. An arbitration ruling last year involving the California Attorneys, Administrative, and Professional Employees (CASE) union affirmed the state’s authority to require in-person work, though the union has appealed this ruling and other cases remain active.
Timothy O’Connor, president of CASE, voiced concerns about the mandate, arguing that it disregards the benefits of remote work, which advocates claim enhance productivity and employee well-being while also saving costs for the state. “We think this is just sudden, comes out of nowhere, and it’s a misguided mandate that really ignores the benefits of telework,” O’Connor said.
Despite these concerns, Newsom framed his order as a matter of fairness for the broader state workforce, which consists of over 224,000 employees. He noted that more than half of state workers have continued to report to work in person throughout the pandemic, with additional workers returning to their offices, including those in law enforcement, healthcare, highway maintenance, and janitorial services.
Additionally, in light of recent federal workforce reductions, the governor’s order includes measures to streamline the hiring of former federal employees in vital roles such as firefighting, weather forecasting, forest management, mental health, and scientific positions.
