A California union is pushing a stay-at-home bill as Newsom calls state workers back to the office
One of the largest public employee unions in California is pushing legislation to make telecommuting a permanent option for public employees as time runs out on Gov. Gavin Newsom on July 1 that most workers will be in the office four days a week.
The measure, sponsored by Assemblyman Alex Lee, a Milpitas Democrat, would require federal agencies to offer work-from-home options “to the fullest extent possible” and provide written reasons when requiring employees to work in-person, according to a news release from Professional Engineers in California Government. The union represents more than 15,000 public engineers, most of whom work for Caltrans and environmental organizations.
The bill would also require the state to establish a dashboard to document annual savings from remote work. The Department of General Services, which manages state government housing and contracts, has published that information until it ends the practice in 2024.
“The goal is to establish a national policy that flexible telework can and should be offered to state workers, because it works for the state government, it works for the taxpayers, and it really works for public employees,” said Ted Toppin, the union’s executive director.
Federal agencies are widely adopting remote work policies that allow state workers to save on travel costs and stay where they want during the COVID-19 crisis. As of 2024, half of the state’s workforce will be eligible for remote work, and 74% of those workers prefer to telecommute, according to estimates by the Department of General Services at the time.
But that year, Newsom angered thousands of public servants by calling them into the office at least two days a week. He signed a broad mandate last year requiring most public workers to be in the office at least four days a week, but delayed implementation for most until July — the result of negotiations with several unions including the engineers union.
However, the government agencies were not well equipped to receive this order. Many were missing thousands of jobs before Newsom’s mandate, according to a recent report in the Sacramento Bee. And remote work can save money: Allowing state employees to work from home at least three days a week could save the state $225 million a year, according to a state auditor’s report released last year.
“These cost savings and environmental benefits directly benefit the public,” Lee said in a statement sent to CalMatters, arguing that the move would ensure transparency in federal agency telework policies.
The intent of the bill is not to repeal Newsom’s executive order, Toppin said. Rather, it’s to remind policymakers of the benefits that telework can bring, he said.
“Saving money, protecting the environment, reducing traffic, hiring and training workers. Those are the shared goals of all Californians,” Toppin said.
The engineers union has a reputation for winning at the bargaining table, including securing higher benefits that boost wages for longtime workers. Records kept by CalMatters’ Digital Democracy database show it gave $3.5 million to state lawmakers between 2015 and 2024. The biggest spending came in 2016 when the union gave $422,000 to lawmakers as they debated what became a gas tax hike locked in funding transportation projects, and when the union contributed $20
The handover and takeover of bringing government workers to office is playing out as government agencies take different ways of working away from the pandemic. Some federal agencies already require employees to work in the office at least three days a week and the Legislature often mandates that employees be in the Capitol.
Separately, Newsom last year signed legislation that expanded telework options for local officials, researchers and members of neighborhood councils and advisory groups.
Yue Stella Yu writes for CalMatters.
