In recent developments impacting state employees in California, particularly those working under the California Health and Human Services Agency (CalHHS), a draft memo obtained by The Sacramento Bee signals a significant change in telework policies that the state is imposing on its employees. This memo outlines that, starting March 4, 2024, employees are required to work onsite for two days each week or risk losing their ability for a flexible work schedule altogether. This marks a pivotal shift from the more flexible hybrid work models adopted in response to the global pandemic a couple of years ago.
The memo is one of many that various state agencies are starting to send to their employees. In January, California’s Employment Development Department (EDD) sent a version of the memo to its employees, providing clarity on how remote work would be treated going forward.
According to the draft memo by CalHHS, the decision to adjust the telework schedule was announced on January 22, 2024. The memo instructs managers on how to communicate the changes to their staff, specifying the process for returning to the office, including the selection of in-office days and the location to which employees must report. A significant aspect of this policy change is the stipulation that employees who do not comply with the new telework agreement by a given deadline may be required to work onsite five days a week.
The revelation of this policy shift has raised concerns among state employees about the future of remote work, the impact on work-life balance, and the potential for decreased job satisfaction due to longer commutes and less flexibility.
A manager within a department under CalHHS, who shared the memo with The Sacramento Bee under the condition of anonymity citing fears of retaliation and a lack of union representation, expressed concerns about the speed of these changes. There is an assumption that the memo, currently distributed to supervisors and managers, could soon be shared with all employees, possibly by the summer of 2024.
This development reflects a broader conversation about the future of work in the public sector, balancing the benefits of remote work with the perceived need for in-person collaboration and oversight. The decision by CalHHS to enforce a partial return to the office is a notable example of how state agencies are navigating the post-pandemic landscape, potentially setting a precedent for other departments within California and beyond.
