Newsom Orders State Workers Back to Their Offices Four Days per Week

Taking a page from President Donald Trump’s playbook, Gov. Gavin Newsom signed an executive order Monday mandating that all state agencies and departments that continue to offer remote work require a minimum of four in-person days per work week starting on July 1. Exceptions may be offered on a case-by-case basis.

“In-person work makes us all stronger — period,” he 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.”

The President signed his federal back-to-the-office executive order as one of his first orders of business after being sworn in on Jan. 20. Since then, many of the same office have been empties and closed with subsequent orders.

Newsom’s back-to-the-office order is likely to inflame tensions between the governor and labor unions representing public employees, which have fought back against previous efforts to limit telework for the state workforce.

About 95,000 employees continue to work remotely or in a hybrid capacity, according to the governor’s office.

Newsom already called workers back to the office at least two days per week last April, citing enhanced efficiency, mentorship and supervision from in-person work.

His new order argues that those benefits have been undermined by employees’ schedules not being aligned and also notes that “several leading private sector employers have recently increased in-person work requirements.”

The governor’s office declined to answer a question about why Newsom was moving now to bring state workers back to the office most days.

Legal challenges to return-to-office orders are ongoing and almost certainly will not end with Newsom’s latest mandate. An arbitration decision last year involving CASE, the union representing state attorneys, bolstered California’s authority to compel employees back to work in person, but the union appealed and other cases continue.

Timothy O’Connor, the president of CASE, said Newsom was overlooking the effectiveness of remote work, which proponents believe boosts employees’ productivity and well-being while saving money 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 in an interview. “This is a very harsh order.”

But the governor has cast it as an issue of fairness for the entire state workforce of more than 224,000 people. More than half continued to report to work in person every day throughout the pandemic and more have since returned to the office, according to his order, including law enforcement officers, health care providers, highway maintenance workers and janitorial staff.

Amid mass firings in the federal government, Newsom’s order also includes a provision to streamline hiring of former federal employees in key roles such as firefighting, weather forecasting, forest management, mental health and the sciences.

Alexei Koseff is a reporter with CalMatters.

6 Comments

  1. Time to be Honest

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    Going into the office 4-days per week is harsh? Are you kidding me?

    Watch, the public employees are going to throw an absolute fit. It would be great to see San Jose City Hall call all of the workers back, and many other City Halls in the County – it would really help the local businesses and also incentivize new businesses to come into town.

  2. The Breeze

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    Trying to save his political career by appearing to be a moderate. Please don’t fall for this career politician’s antics.

  3. SJ Kulak

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    Be very wary of Newsom, he is formidable. This progressive shtick is an act. CA is his base of power, and he has played the CA game. I would guess in his heart he is a Reagan Republican in as much as Trump is a Clintonian (B) Democrat. The media and the Dems can marshal a very effective campaign against Vance, and frankly Vance may be in trouble. 2028 is the Dems last chance to realign as the census will make even the blue wall irrelevant. All stops will be pulled, unlike 2024.

  4. SCC Resident

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    Newsom vs Vance? Gavin would take it with room to spare. Lil’ JD is making a fool of himself and it’s only been a few weeks. Time for him to go back to his trailer park.

  5. SJ Kulak

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    baaaaahahahahaha

    goldie up in here making fun of Vance, but mooched on his $1000/month tenement for years off of covid

    Yale, Ohio State >> SJSU

    Marine Vet, Senator, Vice President, and Published Author >> 35 jobs held for 4 months max

  6. Not Suckered

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    Newsom has old money Nor-Cal backing and can get tech and others to join, and the So-Cal interests won’t hesitate to join, in support of him in 2026.

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