Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order Monday directing state workers to return to the office four days per 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, as 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 per week. Newsom’s order does not apply to workers who were hired under agreements to exclusively work from home.
The move could place the Democratic governor at odds with powerful public sector labor unions, who represent state workers in California.
Newsom has gradually adjusted his return to the office work policy since concerns about the COVID-19 pandemic and government imposed restrictions subsided. The governor originally advised agencies and departments to set their own policies before his administration mandated that workers report in-person at least two days per week last summer.
SEIU Local 1000, the largest public sector union in the country, has resisted sweeping return to the office mandates and argued last year that any policy changes from departments and agencies must be collectively bargained. Labor unions have also disputed the contention that requiring people to commute to work again increases productivity.
The societal shift back to in-person work has been embraced by local officials, who blame remote work policies for the degradation of downtown districts that have experienced restaurant and business closures due to a shortage of patrons. Sacramento County has nearly 90,000 state workers and the most in California, followed by Los Angeles County with 20,000, according to data from the State Controller’s Office.
Newsom’s order also calls for the state to “streamline the hiring process for former federal employees seeking employment” to fill vacant state disaster response and emergency roles, including in firefighting, forest management, and weather forecasting.
