California lawmakers have passed Assembly Bill 1729, a measure that would require the state to implement telework plans for employees where remote work is suitable and mandate agencies to justify requiring in-office presence. The bill now heads to Governor Gavin Newsom's desk, where it is expected to face its most significant challenge.
The legislation passed the state Senate with a 31-6 vote and previously cleared the state Assembly with a 67-7 vote. This bipartisan effort is a direct response to dissatisfaction from state labor groups regarding Governor Newsom's directive for most state employees to return to the office four days a week.
Assemblymember Alex Lee, the bill's author, stated that the legislation aims to support state workers whose morale has been impacted by what he described as an outdated, in-office model. "These are the people we need to (take) care of because (they) are executing our ambitions, and to see them have their morale just plummet because the governor’s forcing … an outdated model was really heartbreaking to me," Lee told the Sacramento Bee.
Some Republican lawmakers have supported the bill, recognizing the potential benefits of remote work. Assemblymember Josh Hoover noted that telework could save the state hundreds of millions of dollars in office space costs, reduce traffic congestion, and help California remain competitive with the private sector. "It has the potential to save the state hundreds of millions of dollars on office space, reduce traffic congestion on Sacramento roads and help California remain competitive with the private sector," Hoover told the Folsom Telegraph.
However, Governor Newsom has consistently defended his return-to-office policy, emphasizing the importance of in-person work for collaboration and public service. At a press conference, he stated, "One of them is a crisis of loneliness. People not feeling connected. I want people to come back to work. Re-engage," suggesting that in-person work offers societal benefits to employees.
State workers have voiced concerns about the mandate, citing increased commute times, parking challenges, and difficulties with childcare arrangements, which they argue have negatively affected morale. The state's largest employee union, SEIU Local 1000, has been engaged in contract negotiations with the Newsom administration, with the return-to-office order being a significant point of contention.
Critics of the bill, including some former state employees and free-market think tank representatives, argue that government workers were functional prior to the pandemic and that prioritizing remote work offers an undue benefit compared to private sector employees. "Government workers functioned just fine when required to come to work before the pandemic," Tim Anaya, a former state government employee, stated. "Millions who have to commute into the office every day have little sympathy for the noisy union protests demanding another benefit for government workers few in the private sector enjoy."