Unions & California State Workers Fighting Return to In-Office Work 4 Days Per Week

We are six years after Governor Gavin Newsom’s original Covid lockdown order, sending nearly the entire state workforce of “non-essential” workers packing in 2020. Last March 2025, Gov. Newsom issued a “get back to the office” order… but not until July 1, 2025, and only 4 days a week.

That didn’t go over so well with state workers and their labor unions. CalHR last year negotiated agreements with the state worker labor unions to delay the return-to-the-office until July 1, 2026.

Remember, Newsom’s original Covid lockdown order also locked down private sector businesses, K-12 schools, and colleges and universities, most of which were already back at work and school by the time he lifted his original lockdown order February 28, 2023 – three years later.

It’s May 2026, and California state workers are still working from home in flannel jammies and slippers… some of who are very clearly still “non-essential.”

For what it is worth, the news never takes a day off, and I am assuming government services don’t either. Could there be so much redundancy in state government that Fridays off won’t matter?

Newsom’s executive order requires “all agencies and departments within his Administration to update their hybrid telework policies to a default of at least four days per week by July 1, 2025. The order establishes a four-day-per-week in-office expectation, with further telework flexibilities granted on a case-by-case basis in light of individual circumstances, consistent with the executive order and existing family-friendly employment policies and legal obligations.”

“To further enhance the state’s workforce needs, the Governor is also directing CalHR to streamline the hiring process for former federal employees seeking employment in key roles, including firefighting, forest management, and weather forecasting.”

However, and once again, the tail is wagging the dog in California. SEIU is pushing back hard.

Caltrans reports it has 22,396 employees, plus thousands of intermittent employees.

Statewide, California has nearly 17,000 active intermittent employees across all agencies, as of April 2026 payroll data.

As of the April 2026 pay period, there are 227,357 active full-time California state employees, according to the State Controller. 

The Globe has learned that Caltrans gave up a significant amount of office space, as well as entire buildings during the Covid government shutdown, and there is nowhere for thousands of the workers to go.

Many state workers are frustrated about having to commute downtown again, and pay exorbitant parking rates – if they can find parking.

Yet the governor appears adamant that his order restore full time state workers back in the office.

This would be a good time for state government to consider moving certain state agencies out of downtown, like Caltrans, which really have no need to have such a large physical presence near the Capitol. Natomas, Elk Grove and Rancho Cordova have plenty of room to build, or for agencies to take over vacant office buildings.

Additionally, there are some departments within state agencies which do not need to be physically present all 5 days a week.

Why the governor’s office did not spend the year planning and orchestrating the return, and/or start planning with agencies for moving out of downtown, is anyone’s best guess.

During the 2024 election, Donald Trump pledged to relocate roughly 100,000 federal positions out of the Washington, D.C. area, including Northern Virginia and Maryland, to “places filled with patriots who love America,” continuing efforts from his first term like moving parts of the Bureau of Land Management to Colorado.

With the SEIU driving this bus, it will be interesting to see what actually happens July 1st.