The State of California and Scholars have recognized the savings coming from telework

• The 2022-23 California budget summary indicated that Department of General Services relinquished 767,000 sq. ft. of office space for an estimated $22.5 million in savings due to implementation of telework policies. (2022-23 California Budget Summary p.214 (PDF) Budget Summary and Governing, January 2022 California Lets 23 Leases Expire as Workers Stay Remote)

• Savings due to telework by the State of California workforce were projected at $84.7 million a year over the next three years. (2022-23 California Budget Summary p. 214 (PDF) Budget Summary)

• A methodological selection of studies show that telework is associated with higher productivity. A recent report published by PSOL One found that most of the articles they identified (59%) found that working from home was associated with higher productivity. A minority (27%) indicated instances of both increased and reduced productivity based on various moderating factors, and 14% showed decreases in productivity. (Hackney A, Yung M, Somasundram KG, Nowrouzi-Kia B, Oakman J, Yazdani A. Working in the digital economy: A systematic review of the impact of work from home arrangements on personal and organizational performance and productivity. Working in the digital economy: A systematic review of the impact of work from home arrangements on personal and organizational performance and productivity – PMC)

Telework supports working families in California

• “Parents of children under the age of 18 had a higher telework rate than workers with no children under 18 (21.4 percent compared with 18.7 percent, in August)” of 2023. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Telework Survey, 2023. Highlights of CPS telework data : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• According to a review of federal survey data on California telework by the California Center on Jobs and the Economy, when asked for the main reason why they worked from home nearly half of workers who did (46.3%) “indicated it was a personal preference or due to a need to coordinate work with personal and family needs.” (California Center on Jobs and the Economy, California Workers: Modernized Telecommuting Policies to Build Equity and Reduce Costs. October 2020 Telecommuting-FINAL.pdf)10)

Telework is a powerful recruitment and retention tool for employer

• A 2023 General Accounting Office review of telework studies reported that there’s evidence that telework allows employers to recruit from a larger pool of applicants, which can help to fill hard to fill positions. GAO-23-105999, TELEWORK: Growth Supported Economic Activity during the Pandemic, but Future Impacts are Uncertain27

• In 2022, the journal Frontiers in Psychology published a systematic study of telework literature that showed that “when telework is voluntary, it appears that both actual employee turnover rates and intentions to leave the organization are lower.” A systematic review of the research on telework and organizational economic performance indicators – PMC (nih.gov) (Preface)

• At a time when state agencies are struggling with high vacancies in many critical positions, taking away telework -an important recruitment and retention tool that helps to fill positions- will make the dire problem of understaffing at state agencies even worse. This is particularly the case as baby boomers continue to move into retirement.    

Telework reduces state employees carbon footprint

• According to an April 29th 2024 request for audit by Assembly Member Josh Hoover, state telework “eliminated nearly 400,000 metric tons of carbon emissions, reduced traffic congestion, and saved workers hundreds of dollars per month in vehicle expenses.” (California Assembly Member Josh Hoover letter to the Joint Legislative Audit Committee 2024-118 (Asm Hoover) Telework Revised (4-29-2024)_Signature Redacted.pdf)

• A California Department of General Services case study of telework at the agency found that teleworkers reduced their commute miles by 222,000 and “6500 hours during a typical week equating to approximately $30,000 in gas costs and avoidance of 80 metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions.” (DGS telework case study, Cal Telework Webpage. Website Accessed Feb 2, 2024. Link no longer available)

• A Sept. 2023 study on climate mitigation found that “switching from working on site to working from home can reduce up to 58 percent of work’s carbon footprint, and the impacts of IT use are negligible, while office energy use and non-commute travel impacts are important.” (PNAS, Brief Report: Climate mitigation potentials of teleworking are sensitive to changes in lifestyle and workplace rather than ICT (Information and communication technology usage. Sept. 2023.https://www.pnas.org/doi/pdf/10.1073/pnas.2304099120 )).

Telework Works

• According to recent U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics survey data about 1 in 3 workers in management, professional, and related occupations teleworked. (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics: Telework Survey, 2023. Highlights of CPS telework data : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

 Telework and Workplace Equity in California

• As the state of California continues to strive towards more equitable workplaces and spaces, forcing state workers back into the office could potentially make things worse for everyone instead of expanding work from home options for workers who could do their jobs from home.

• Among people at work, women were more likely than men to have teleworked (21.6 percent compared with 17.7 percent, in August). (Highlights of Data on Telework, Beusaru of Labor Statistics. August 2023. Highlights of CPS telework data : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

• Among the major race and ethnicity groups, Asians were more likely to have teleworked (31.2 percent) than Whites (19.3 percent), Blacks (15.4 percent), and Hispanics (9.9 percent). (Highlights of Data on Telework, Beusaru of Labor Statistics. August 2023. Highlights of CPS telework data : U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics)

This filing is a direct challenge to an unlawful mandate that violates our members’ collective bargaining rights under the Dills Act and disregards our contract. The Governor imposed this order unilaterally, without negotiation, without consideration for its impact on state workers, and without following the law.

We’re demanding that PERB rescind this illegal order immediately and return decision-making on telework and return-to-office policies back to individual departments, where it belongs. Agencies should be making operational decisions based on business needs – not political mandates.

We know that many of our represented workers – nurses, custodians, prison educators, and others – never had the option to work from home. Their dedication has been unwavering. But that doesn’t mean we should ignore the realities of modern work for those whose jobs can be done effectively in a hybrid setting. One-size-fits-all mandates don’t work.

Forcing workers back into the office hits them financially. Many will face higher costs for gas, parking, and commuting – expenses that telework helped avoid. At a time when inflation, housing costs, and gas prices are squeezing working families, this mandate only makes things harder.

California is the tech capital of the world, yet our own state government is clinging to outdated policies instead of embracing the modern workplace. Major industries have recognized that hybrid work attracts talent, improves efficiency, and saves money – so why is our state government moving backward? If California wants to lead, it needs to practice what it preaches.

We’ve also seen no data proving RTO has saved the state money. This is just another unsubstantiated mandate that ignores economic realities and the needs of state workers.

This isn’t about better service to Californians – it’s about political posturing at workers’ expense. This mandate ignores the realities of modern work and punishes workers for no good reason. It’s a short-sighted decision that disregards the success of hybrid work and the financial strain it will put on state employees. Governor Newsom has called himself a champion of progress, but now he’s rolling back telework, ignoring the data, and making life harder for working people.

SEIU Local 1000 will not stand by while state workers are treated as pawns in political games. We are calling on the Governor to reverse this reckless decision and work with us to develop policies that respect workers, strengthen public services, and reflect the future of work. We will continue fighting for dignity, respect, and flexibility – and we won’t back down.

Anica Walls
President, SEIU Local 1000