California Doubles State Workers' Office Requirement to Four Days a Week

Governor Gavin Newsom's return-to-office mandate for California state employees has been in effect since July 1, doubling the previous two-day-a-week in-office requirement to four days for roughly 108,000 of the state's more than 245,900 workers. Newsom issued the executive order in March 2025, and it took full effect this month despite lawsuits, protests and pushback from public employee unions. The mandate applies across state departments, from the DMV to the Department of Developmental Services, though it allows case-by-case exemptions for employees who live 50 miles or more from their worksite or whose jobs are already conducted outside an office.

The policy has sparked an ongoing labor fight. SEIU Local 1000, the state's largest public employee union, filed an unfair labor practice charge with California's Public Employment Relations Board in May, and the board advanced the complaint to mediation. A state audit found that telework could save California as much as $225 million a year, and legislative testimony from officials appointed by Newsom himself indicated remote work during the pandemic was delivered with higher quality and efficiency, according to reporting on the dispute. Newsom has defended the policy anyway, arguing in-person work rebuilds workplace culture, boosts accountability and helps revive downtown business districts that struggled after the pandemic.

Workers have raised practical concerns since the mandate took effect, including insufficient office space and parking after years of pandemic-era remote hiring, long commutes and disrupted childcare arrangements. A separate bill backed by state worker unions that would require agencies to justify in-person work passed the Assembly on a party-line vote in a Senate committee but has not yet received a full Senate vote.

What supporters say:

  • Newsom argues in-person work rebuilds collaboration, accountability and a sense of community that eroded during years of remote work.

  • The governor has repeatedly said the policy will help revitalize downtown business districts that lost foot traffic and revenue after the pandemic.

  • Supporters note other states, including Nevada and New Mexico, require five days a week in office, meaning California's four-day rule is comparatively moderate.

What critics say:

  • A state audit found telework could save California as much as $225 million a year, and testimony from Newsom's own appointed officials indicated remote work was delivered with higher quality and efficiency.

  • SEIU Local 1000's unfair labor practice complaint has advanced to mediation, arguing the mandate broke existing telework agreements with unions.

  • Workers cite disrupted childcare, long commutes and departments that lack enough office space and parking after years of pandemic-era hiring growth.

What's your take?

Should California's four-day-a-week in-office mandate for state workers stand? Yes ↑ No ↓ Other ◇

Sources:

#ReturnToOffice #Newsom #StateWorkers #WorkplacePolicy

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