u/TechWorker111

Someone else shared this on the Reddit.

Elevating this so you can all get enraged and take actions like this SEIU event TOMORROW:
https://secure.ngpvan.com/-D8R4Nu_rUGZq_hnWXKh-w2

Also, spread the word via comments on Newsom’s social media and his media appearances that Newsom is anti-worker and anti-union.

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Dear Cabinet Secretaries –

As promised this morning, I write to remind everyone of Executive Order N-22-25, which requires all departments to bring state employees back to the office for a minimum of 4 in-person days per week. As you all know, CalHR last year negotiated agreements with the unions to delay the implementation of the Executive Order until July 1, 2026. Cabinet Secretaries should take all necessary steps to implement the Executive Order, effective July 1, 2026, with an expectation of working in the office or in the field 4 days per week.

In implementing the Executive Order, agencies and departments should be well underway with their plans to address office space needs and other work-related conditions as we return all telework-eligible employees to the office 4 days per week. As you evaluate your current operations, including space needs, be thoughtful in your transition and use a structured and equitable approach. Individual departments will approach this transition in different ways depending upon what works best and what makes the most sense for your organization and its operations. We all, however, should move to a hybrid schedule that involves telework no more than one day each week.

Ninety-eight percent of departments have sufficient space for all employees to return to the office 4 days per week. We recognize that some departments do have real space constraints that will preclude every covered employee from returning to the office 4 days each week on July 1. However, we understand this space shortage to affect fewer than 2% of state employees, when incorporating the following guidance. We will address those constraints individually.

In the interim, departments with ongoing space needs should make sure that all existing space is filled on July 1. Not having sufficient space for all employees to be in the office at least 4 days will not excuse or delay a return to office to the maximum extent feasible. Importantly, all available workstations must be filled at least four days per week.

For those departments without sufficient space, continue working with the Department of General Services (DGS) to address space needs. We encourage agencies and departments to consider that not every office visit needs a large workstation and to be efficient with space use. Consider the options listed below as a guide and note that this is not an exhaustive list. These approaches should be considered temporary until adequate space is secured:

Strategically expand space availability. Are there ways to add desks or augment workstations to make better use of existing office space to maximize the use of existing resources? Confirm actual constraints. For July 1, 2026, focus on the number of state employees, less vacancies and exemptions. Prioritize space for state employees first. At this stage, vacancies should not be factored into space needs. Assuming the office space is used as extensively as possible, how many employees eligible for the 4-day return to office would not have a workstation? Consider, for example: How many employees are eligible for one of the exemptions listed in the CalHR exception guidance? Consider if a dedicated space is needed for individuals where their work is at an alternate work location. For example, auditors and field staff may only need meeting rooms or quiet rooms for a short stay to complete the remainder of their day if otherwise required to work off site. View office space from a portfolio, not specific location, perspective. If one office building has an excess of workstations and another in the same geographic area has too few, restack space within your portfolio to maximize the number of workstations utilized. Understand that the SAM guidelines related to space are maximums, not minimums, and are not entitlements. Generally, employees who might be allowed to have a private office in the guidelines (ex: upper management) are not required to be in an office. Utilize the space types you have instead of focusing on configurations/setups that go beyond requirements. DGS has identified additional office space available in Sacramento. Departments with insufficient space should work with DGS to explore these alternative spaces. Reach out to state departments in the same building, city, and/or region to see if they have excess space that your employees could occupy. If, after assessing space availability and actual need, departments remain short on workstations, departments should prioritize keeping teams together to facilitate collaboration when determining how to allocate available space. Solutions should be intentional, fact-based, based on objective criteria, and applied consistently. A rotational program where employees work in the office fewer than four days per week is not an appropriate solution.

Agencies and departments should work with their labor relations offices for communications to employee representatives. CalHR has issued statewide guidance on exceptions to this directive, and questions about guidance may be directed to LR.Info@calhr.ca.gov. Questions about space should be directed to DGS at DGSRTOInquiry@dgs.ca.gov. As more information becomes available, we will keep you informed and update this guidance. Transitioning to a 4-day-per-week hybrid structure allows greater collaboration and cohesion across our teams and enhances our ability to serve all Californians effectively.

Thank you very much for your collaboration on this Administration priority. (and FYI – CalHR will soon be reaching out to your Departments to help coordinate the next steps)

May Revise Employee Compensation #s

Newsom’s actual 4 day RTO email to depts