Gavin Newsom’s remote work policy compared to other states

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott took about three months to reverse his 2025 ban on remote work for state employees. But Gov. Gavin Newsom, whose return-to-office mandate has been in effect since July 1, shows no signs of backing down. 

It’s a stance that has upset — and at times befuddled — some state workers who are calling for the governor to scrap the four-day-a-week in-office policy as they hammer out new labor agreements.

Service Employees International Union Local 1000, California’s largest state worker union, argues that remote work saves taxpayers and employees money, reduces traffic and lowers emissions — all without affecting productivity. It also threw its support behind a bill that would give state agencies more authority to shape their hybrid work policies.

Newsom’s blanket policy appears to be an outlier among other blue states with robust public employee unions: Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon and Washington state still embrace remote work in some capacity. It also differs from Texas, a Republican-led state that Newsom has contrasted with California. 

Abbott banned remote work for Texas state employees last year, but following a multi-agency survey that found that telework did not curb productivity and helped reduce turnover, Abbott walked back the move.

Newsom, meanwhile, told reporters during a May state budget presentation that he is “empathetic to change,” but that returning to the office helps build a sense of community. The governor has also contended that in-person work fosters collaboration and accountability.

The governor’s commitment to in-person work has baffled Steve Maviglio, a Democratic political consultant who has worked with public employee unions on pension issues. For Newsom, a Democratic politician who is likely eyeing a bid for the presidency, “it’s political malpractice to come across as anti-labor,” said Maviglio.

Read more.