A California state auditor's report indicates that Governor Newsom arbitrarily mandated office returns without analyzing worker productivity. Initially requiring two days in-office, his executive order increased it to four but eventually aligned with union agreements. The audit suggested substantial savings of $225 million annually if employees worked remotely three days weekly. The governor's office did not consider department estimates on office space needs. The report criticized a uniform telework strategy for counteracting state policy and emphasized the benefits of flexible work in reducing costs and achieving climate goals.
In general, we determined that a one-size-fits-all approach to telework is counter to state policy and may limit opportunities for significant cost savings.
The governor's office ignored survey findings from its own oversight agency, which collected estimates from departments on how much office space they would need.
Newsom's return-to-office mandates were politically motivated decisions rather than a true effort to increase worker productivity.
Flexible hybrid work policies can save the state money and help achieve ambitious climate and emissions goals by reducing commuter traffic.
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