Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday directing state workers to return to the office four days a week, shifting California government away from a post-pandemic model that allows roughly 95,000 government employees to clock in remotely for most of the week.
The change, which is expected to take effect July 1, comes after President Trump called many federal government workers back to the office last month and as corporations continue to retract remote work options.
“In-person work makes us all stronger — period,” Newsom said in a statement. “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.”
California has more than 220,000 full-time state employees and about 60% work in positions — janitors and highway patrol officers, for example — that already require them to report in-person daily. The policy change is expected to apply to about 40% of the workforce who are currently required to report to an office at least two days a week. Newsom’s order does not apply to workers who were hired under agreements to exclusively work from home.
The move put the Democratic governor at odds with the powerful public sector labor unions, who represent state workers in California.
SEIU Local 1000, the largest public sector union in the country, called on Newsom to “reverse this reckless decision” and accused the governor of “political posturing at workers’ expense.” More here