What we know about Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office order for California state workers

Gov. Gavin Newsom surprised state employees and unions this week by announcing public employees are expected to return to offices four days a week starting July.

The announcement was met with frustration and disappointment from employees who have enjoyed telework benefits since 2020 when the COVID-19 pandemic forced many public servants to work from home.

Here are some key dates related to the directive and what we know so far:

Key dates for state workers

March 13 — The California Department of Human Resources to release statewide guidance about how and when departments can make case-by-case exceptions to the new return to office directive.

April 1 — Deadline for departments to submit a plan to the Department of General Services about how to accommodate an increase in in-person work.

July 1 — All employees eligible for telework report to offices, except those exempted, four days a week.

What about the telework audit?

Last year, Assemblymember Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, requested an audit of the timing, legality and cost associated with rescinding full telework privileges to state employees. That report is still scheduled to be published this summer.

Teresa Trujillo, a spokesperson for Hoover’s office, confirmed that the auditor’s office is aware of the governor’s executive order and the team of auditors has the flexibility to include the new policy in the ongoing review.

“There’s nothing, however, that our office can do to change the scope of the audit,” Trujillo said.

On Monday, Hoover urged Newsom to wait to enact the new four-day policy until state auditors released their report.

When did unions hear about the order?

Unions, like state employees, learned about the change to telework policies Monday afternoon when the governor announced the policy change.

For some bargaining units, like the California Association of State Attorneys and Administrative Law Judges, the change came less than a month after the union started bargaining a new contract with the state.

“This sudden and misguided mandate ignores the well-documented benefits of telework, including higher productivity, improved employee well-being and cost savings for the state,” said CASE President Timothy O’Connor.

What can unions do?

In Monday’s executive order, Newsom directed CalHR to ensure “legally required notice is provided” to impacted bargaining units.

Notably, he did not direct CalHR to negotiate with bargaining units over the new return-to-office directive.

Tim Yeung, a public sector labor law expert, said based on his reading of employees’ contracts with the state when a department plans to change an employee’s work conditions — such as bringing workers back to offices — the employer only needs to inform the union and offer an opportunity to meet and confer about the impacts of the change.

Public sector unions have more legal footing to bargain over changes to employees’ telework stipends, though it’s not clear what impact the directive will have on those monthly payments. The governor’s office did not respond to questions about the telework stipend.



The California Association Professional Scientists, which represents environmental scientists and hazardous substance scientists, said it issued a demand to bargain over the new guidance for exceptions that CalHR will issue later this month.

“We are concerned that the state’s directive will undermine morale and efficiency of state employees at a time when all state employees, including state scientists, are critically needed to address the myriad issues facing Californians,” the state scientists’ union said in a statement.