Newsom’s return-to-office order: Q&A with Sacramento Bee’s state worker reporter
State workers are set to transition to working in-person four days a week in a return-to-office order mandated by Gov. Gavin Newsom starting next week, July 1.
Sacramento’s state workers, downtown businesses, and unions have met the order with uncertainty, protests and legal pushback, amongst other challenges like the lack of office spaces.
Sifting through readers’ most asked questions, The Sacramento Bee held a live Zoom discussion Thursday afternoon with State Worker reporter William Melhado and moderated by Assistant Managing Editor for Politics & Investigations Grace Wyler.
Here’s what to know about Newsom’s return-to-office (RTO) mandate.
We’re one week away from the RTO order. Walk us through the history of telework and how we got here.
Before the pandemic shifted workers to work remotely, Melhado said California tried to implement telework policies for government employees, but remote work was not widely adopted by state agencies.
When the COVID-19 pandemic swept across the country, there was some pushback to telework initially. But “over the subsequent years, there was a big transformation in how state workers did their jobs, communicated and collaborated together,” he said.
“Now, there is a big culture of working remotely and connecting with colleagues across the state through (Microsoft) Teams.”
In 2024, Newsom directed state employees to between working from government offices two days a week. The following year, he attempted to increase the number of in-office days to four, but faced opposition from state workers and unions. Following negotiations between the union and the Newsom administration, the RTO order was delayed until July 2026.
Last year, Newsom delayed this order. Could a delay happen again?
California faced a significant budget problem last year and to help address that deficit Newsom called on all 21 bargaining units of the state worker union to reduce the state’s employee compensation costs through personal leave programs, suspended retirement contributions and other negotiations, Melhado said.
California is no longer facing such a significant fiscal crisis, so it’s unlikely that a delay will come from negotiations related to the budget, Melhado said.
SEIU Local 1000 union, the state’s largest representative of state employees, has filed an unfair practice charge against the RTO order.
“That is working its way through the state’s public employment relations board and depending on the ruling, if there is one, it could result in a delay,” he said.
“But nothing has been determined yet that suggests it will happen before July 1.”
What data has the Governor used to justify the RTO order? Are there any quantifiable benefits to RTO that they’re citing?
Melhado said he has asked the governor’s office multiple times for justification or data that supports the RTO order. The office maintained their stance that working in the office enhances collaboration and mentorship, as previously outlined in the governor’s executive order last year.
The California State Auditor conducted a report on evidence supporting the RTO order last year and found that the order was issued without determining beforehand the amount of office space needed to accommodate in-person work four days per week or the associated costs.
Ultimately, Melhado said the office has not supplied evidence that suggests in-person collaboration leads to more productivity, and that “it’s really based on vibes.”
Newsom was supportive of telework early on in the pandemic. Why did the governor change his mind?
Read more: What does Gov. Gavin Newsom have to gain politically from state workers’ return to office?
Earlier in the pandemic, telework was politically advantageous for Newsom when there was a lot of uncertainty and ensured people were safe, Melhado said.
“The way that it was heralded by (Newsom’s) administration was this is not only a way to save the state money, but also help state workers save money, and help California achieve its climate goals in reducing the number of vehicle miles traveled,” he said.
“Some have suspected that this is a move (from Newsom) to become more moderate as he looks to higher office,” Melhado said. “There’s also others who pointed out that the number of state workers affected by this, about 95,000 people, is not a significant voting block (for a potential presidential candidate)”.
Revitalizing downtown businesses has been another factor in this contentious topic, Melhado said. The governor has said that he wants to support downtown Sacramento business by calling workers back. Some state workers have suggested that Newsom is pandering to donors by helping downtown businesses, but Melhado noted that presidential campaigns cost a lot more than what Sacramento-based businesses are likely to contribute to Newsom.
Is there anything that can be done after July 1 to reverse the RTO order?
Read more: Newsom used telework as a bargaining chip. State worker unions see opportunity
Melhado said the order might be more difficult to oppose once it goes into effect, whether that is through lawsuits or unfair labor practices filed against the state.
He also said he asked California governor candidates Xavier Becerra and Steve Hilton about the issue as Newsom’s term comes to an end in November.
“Becerra has said that he will uphold state workers union contracts, and he thinks telework is important… so I cannot say whether or not he will reverse it or go further,” Melhado said.
“Hilton said he doesn’t know exactly what telework policy he would have, but he has a strict view of what he thinks California’s workforce should look like… he is focused on trimming the size of the state’s workforce,” he said
Are all state workers being called back to the office?
Read more: Newsom’s return-to-office order faces road blocks as agencies struggle with office space
“There are some exemptions, which happen on a case by case basis, both for individuals and by departments,” Melhado said. Melhado points to guidance issued by CalHR on exemptions, specifically if you live 50 or more miles away from your duty station. “But I’ve also heard that some departments are not following the order... because of a lack of space ... or because they perform most of their duties over the phone, and aren’t needed in person,” he said.
What’s the status of the AB 1729 telework bill, and what’s the likelihood that Newsom signs it?
Read more: CA state worker telework bill gains momentum in Legislature as RTO deadline looms
“The bill just passed the second Senate committee, heading to the Appropriations Committee, which may be a potential obstacle for bills that have a financial cost,” Melhado said.
The telework bill, lobbied by state worker unions and introduced by Assemblymember Alex Lee, seeks to reinstate a dashboard that tracks the benefits of telework and requires state departments to state the reasons for in-person work.
Both Republicans and Democrats have supported the bill, and Melhado said it is likely the Senate will support the bill and pass it onto the governor’s desk.
“I cannot say with certainty what is going to happen, but it would be surprising if Newsom signed this, given he’s been clear about his stance on the RTO order,” he said.
Melhado said the likelihood the Legislature would override a veto on the bill is rare despite the amount of bipartisan support.
What can state workers expect on day one?
Melhado said he has spoken with state workers who are not worried about the lack of office space and others who said there is not enough cubicles for all employees to be back in offices. In some buildings there will likely be little disruption, but in others it could be hectic, he said.
“I’m eager to hear from state workers on July 1 and the coming days about what it is like in your office,” he said.
To share your “day one” experience with Melhado, he requested state workers email him at wmelhado@sacbee.com.
To stay up to date with the latest state worker coverage from Melhado, sign up for the free state worker newsletter here.
This story was originally published June 26, 2026 at 11:17 AM.
