Governor Newsom Mandates Four-Day Office Return for State Workers

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — California Governor Gavin Newsom announced Monday that all state employees must return to the office for at least four days a week, beginning July 1, 2025. This executive order aims to enhance the state’s emergency and disaster response while addressing employment needs.

The directive impacts approximately 95,000 state workers who have been working remotely for most of the week. Newsom emphasized the importance of in-person collaboration, stating, “In-person work makes us all stronger—period. When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases. That means better service, better solutions, and better results for Californians, while still allowing flexibility.”

While the order applies to all agencies under Newsom’s administration, it does permit case-by-case exceptions aligned with family-friendly employment policies. The Governor’s Office confirmed that the California Department of Human Resources (CalHR) will provide guidance regarding who may qualify for these exceptions, particularly for employees living far from their work locations or those who have specific telework agreements.

In addition to the office return order, the governor is directing CalHR to expedite the hiring process for former federal employees, notably in crucial fields such as firefighting, climate resilience, and weather forecasting. This initiative appears to be a response to the layoffs affecting federal workers under the previous administration.

Under the new policy, state agencies are required to devise plans to accommodate the increase in in-person attendance. With more than 224,000 full-time state workers statewide, roughly half currently report to the office daily.

Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty praised the governor’s decision, stating, “Thank you, Governor Newsom, for supporting the health of our urban core with a balanced approach to bringing state workers back to the office. This action supports our downtown, our city and state, and our workforce.”

Labor unions representing state workers, including SEIU Local 1000, may oppose the mandate, arguing any significant shift in work policy should involve collective bargaining. Many public sector unions have expressed concern that mandatory return-to-office policies fail to recognize productivity gains achieved through remote work.

The shift back to in-person work coincides with growing corporate trends retracting remote work options and renewed calls for in-person collaboration. Newsom’s updated mandate marks a departure from earlier guidelines that allowed more flexibility for remote work as the state navigated the COVID-19 pandemic.

As California prepares for this transition, the governor’s office will continue to monitor and evaluate the impact of these changes on both state services and employee satisfaction.