California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Monday (3rd) requiring all state government agencies and departments to update their hybrid remote and in-office work policy to at least four days of in-office work per week starting from July 1st. The order also seeks to recruit former federal employees.
The widespread remote work practice began during the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020 when many office buildings were closed. However, even after the pandemic, from federal to local government, many continued to work from home until the inauguration of President Trump.
On his first day in office, Trump issued the “Return to In-Person Work” executive order, requiring full-time government employees to return to their workstations, with department and agency heads able to grant exemptions as they deemed necessary.
Newsom stated in a press release that the directive expects employees to work in the office at least four days a week, but exemptions for remote work can be granted on a case-by-case basis based on individual circumstances. The federal government’s requirement is for employees to work in the office five days a week.
“Working face-to-face makes us all stronger – that’s it. When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability is enhanced,” Newsom said. “This means providing better services, better solutions, and better outcomes for Californians while still allowing flexibility in work.”
California employs over 224,000 state government full-time employees, with more than half already showing up for work in person every day. These workers include law enforcement officers, healthcare professionals, maintenance workers, and security inspectors. Being the world’s fifth-largest economy and home to Silicon Valley, the entertainment industry, and the hub of American agriculture, California remains a top employer for professionals and technical workers.
The California Department of Human Resources will issue statewide guidance on appropriate exceptions, involving staff who require remote work and those who do not reside near their workplace. Organizations and departments are also required to develop plans, including workplace setups and employee commuting choices.
According to the Federal Employment Law Firm, a report from the Office of Management and Budget in May 2024 stated that around 1.1 million federal civilian employees were eligible for partial or complete off-site work arrangements, with approximately 228,000 able to work remotely without reporting to a physical location.
Trump’s immediate executive order brought about significant changes. The Office of Personnel Management had stated that federal agencies aimed to meet the President’s goals within 30 days (around February 20), although there may be flexibility in timing for collective bargaining or protected employees.
Trump also aimed to streamline federal government agencies and expenditures, leading to some federal employees no longer being hired or choosing to leave.
Newsom has mandated the California Department of Human Resources to identify vacancies corresponding to the skills of former federal employees, especially in fields such as firefighting, weather forecasting and modeling, natural resource management, medical and mental health care, and science. The Governor also instructed the department to streamline the recruitment process so that former federal employees can find jobs in key positions such as firefighting, forest management, and weather forecasting. ◇