California Governor Gavin Newsom issued an executive order on Monday that will require state employees to return to in-person work at least four days per week starting this summer.
The order mandates that the new hybrid policies take effect by July 1.
Included in the order are instructions for CalHR to make it easier for certain former federal employees to begin working for the state of California.
Thousands of state employees began working from home permanently during the COVID-19 pandemic and many have transitioned into a hybrid work model, with some agencies requiring in-person work at least one or two days per week, or every other week.
A news release issued by the governor’s office states that more than 224,000 people are employed by the state, with more than half of them working some sort of hybrid model.
The state’s human resources agency, CalHR, will issue more guidance, including for employees who have since moved farther away from their state office or who were hired with an agreement to work remotely.
In light of recent firings at the federal level brought on by the Department of Government Efficiency, Newsom’s order also directs the state human resources agency to streamline the hiring process for former federal employees in certain sectors.
The governor’s office statement says that the directive is for key positions in “firefighting, extreme weather forecasting climate resilience, and water management roles…in addition to other critical fields such as medical and mental health care.”
