California will audit its telework policies as workers frown on return-to-office mandates

A California legislative committee has directed the State Auditor’s Office to evaluate the state’s telework policies, an order that comes about a month after Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration announced that state workers need to return to the office for at least two days a week starting this summer.

State employees have largely opposed the requirement with many expressing concerns about the change to the telework policies implemented during the pandemic, contending it would make them less productive. Common themes from the more than 500 responses to a Sacramento Bee return-to-office survey included less time spent with family, and more stress, money and time spent on commuting.

In seeking an audit of the state’s telework policies, Assemblyman Josh Hoover, R-Folsom, noted that “the ability to telework has proven overwhelmingly popular with state employees, potentially resulting in increased productivity, cost and time savings, and environmental benefits.”

Audit approved

Hoover’s audit request was among a dozen requests from lawmakers considered and approved earlier this week during a hearing by the Joint Legislative Audit Committee. Hoover also serves on the 14-member committee, which, among other functions, is focused on improving government performance, working independently and through the State Auditor’s Office to oversee the operations and finances of government.

The assemblyman’s April 29 request noted that the Department of General Services manages 59 state office buildings spanning over 13 million square feet of office space, and spends over $600 million a year on rent.

“Telework can potentially reduce this footprint and provide substantial budget savings,” Hoover wrote. “State telework has also reportedly eliminated nearly 400,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, reduced traffic congestion, and saved workers hundreds of dollars per month in vehicle expenses.”

In an interview, Hoover said he has heard from hundreds of constituents, many of whom are state workers. He sought the audit in response to their concerns about return-to-office plans.

“Many of them made a good point that a lot of this work can be done using telework and they have been doing it effectively,” Hoover said.

The assemblymember said he shares concerns about revitalizing downtown Sacramento but added there are other ways to do that, including increasing housing by converting more empty buildings and solving homelessness in the city.

But, he added, “I don’t want to do this on the backs of workers.”

Forcing workers back downtown would run counter to Newsom’s stated goals to combat climate change, said Hoover, adding about 74,000 workers or 30% of the state’s workforce is working full-time from home.

“There’s this misconception out there that everybody is remote,” he said.

Hoover also urged Newsom “to reconsider his RTO mandate, at least until the results of the audit are made available.”

Asked to respond, Izzy Gardon, a Newsom spokesman, said: “Will the author also be examining the Legislature’s own policies requiring their employees to work from the office full time, five days a week?”

Matt Hedges, Hoover’s chief of staff, noted that the Assembly Rules Committee is finalizing a new policy to be implemented in the next couple of months to require assembly staff to move to hybrid work.

New requirement

Cabinet Secretary Ann Patterson issued a memo to cabinet secretaries dated April 10, saying state agencies and departments would need to implement a hybrid telework policy with mandatory in-office days starting June 17. Several agencies had already enacted return-to-office policies.

Citing “varied approaches” that created confusion about expectations and were likely to “exacerbate inconsistencies” across state agencies and departments, Patterson noted in her memo that “it is now necessary to direct all agencies and departments within the Administration that provide telework as an option for employees to implement a hybrid telework policy with an expectation of at least two in-person days per week,” allowing room for case-by-case exceptions.

“The administration believes there are significant benefits to in-person work — enhanced collaboration, cohesion, and communication, better opportunities for mentorship, particularly for workers newer to the workforce, and improved supervision and accountability — that should be balanced with the benefits and increased flexibility that telework provide, through a hybrid approach,” Patterson wrote.

Audit scope highlights

Many employees preferred telework because of time lost to commuting and other reasons. Adding millions of state worker commute miles each week would worsen road congestion and pollution, they contend. Those with disabilities worry about their health and safety.

An audit of the Department of General Services and Department of Human Resources of the state’s telework policies would help illuminate their costs, benefits and the effectiveness, Hoover noted in his audit request.

Among other areas for the state auditor to focus on, the assemblyman outlined the following:

• The origin and basis for the decision to implement and evolve the state’s telework policy.

• How widely and consistently telework policies are used by various state entities

• How much DGS can save on maintaining or leasing office space for teleworking state workers. And, determine whether a hybrid approach could lessen these potential savings

• Savings to state and workers by reviewing impact of housing, vehicle costs, commuting time, sick and vacation time

• Determining if DGS and California Department of Human Resources have evaluated how vehicle emissions and vehicle miles traveled have been impacted to ascertain the impact on the state’s climate goals

• Whether telework policies have impacted the state’s ability to hire and retain workers in a tight labor market.