A major California public employee union is pushing new legislation that would make remote work a permanent option for state workers, directly challenging Governor Gavin Newsom’s mandate requiring most employees to return to the office four days a week by July 1.
The Professional Engineers in California Government (PECG), which represents more than 15,000 state engineers primarily working for Caltrans and environmental agencies, is sponsoring the bill authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-Milpitas). The proposed legislation would require state agencies to offer work-from-home options “to the fullest extent possible” and provide written justifications when in-person work is required, according to CalMatters.
“The intent is absolutely to establish a state policy that flexible telework can and should be provided to state employees, because it serves state government, it serves taxpayers, and it certainly serves state employees,” said Ted Toppin, executive director of the union.
The bill would also require the state to establish a dashboard documenting annual savings from remote work, reviving a practice the Department of General Services ended in 2024. A state auditor’s report released last year estimated that allowing state workers to work from home at least three days weekly could save California $225 million annually.
“These cost savings and environmental benefits directly benefit the public,” Lee said in a statement, arguing that the measure would also ensure transparency on state agencies’ telework policies.
State agencies widely adopted remote work during the COVID-19 pandemic. By 2024, half of all state workers were eligible for telework, with 74% of those employees preferring it, according to Department of General Services estimates.
Newsom first called state workers back to the office at least two days weekly in 2024, later expanding the requirement to four days. Implementation for most workers was delayed until July 2026 after negotiations with several unions, including PECG.
However, many state agencies appear unprepared for the return-to-office mandate. The Sacramento Bee reported that numerous agencies lack thousands of workstations needed to accommodate returning employees.
Toppin insists the bill isn’t meant to nullify Newsom’s order but rather to highlight telework’s benefits. “Saving money, protecting the environment, cutting traffic, recruiting and training staff. Those are shared goals of all Californians,” he said.
The PECG has significant political influence, having contributed $3.5 million to state lawmakers between 2015 and 2024. Its highest spending came in 2016 ($422,000) during gas tax increase debates and in 2024 ($497,000).
The governor’s office has not commented on the pending legislation, which excludes certain workers including the California Highway Patrol, CAL FIRE, and the Department of Corrections.
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