Newsom orders state agencies return to in-office work
The Brief
The executive order directs state agencies to establish a new default expectation of at least four in-office days per week for employees by July 1.
Newsom's office said "experience and research" shows in-person work fosters accountability, cohesion, creativity and communication.
SACRAMENTO - California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday issued an executive order requiring state agencies to have employees begin coming into the office at least four days a week.
The order – officially titled Executive Order N-22-25 – directs state agencies under Newsom's authority to revise their telework policies "to reflect a new default expectation of at least four in-office days per week" by July 1.
The backstory
Newsom's administration in April directed state agencies to mandate two in-office days per week for employees, with the justification that "experience and research" shows that in-person work fosters higher degrees of accountability, cohesion, creativity and communication, while also allowing more opportunities for mentorship and collaboration.
The Monday executive order further justified the four-day in-office mandate by claiming that the benefits of in-person work are undermined by the "non-aligned" work schedules of employees working under the previous two-day in-office minimum.
"State employees are the backbone of our government, and we are blessed in California with public servants who devote their time and talents to the smooth operation of critical services and public infrastructure," Newsom said. "In-person work makes us all stronger — period. When we work together, collaboration improves, innovation thrives, and accountability increases. That means better service, better solutions, and better results for Californians, while still allowing flexibility."
Big picture view
Newsom's order also directs state agencies to streamline the hiring process for former federal employees seeking employment in key roles, such as those in forest management, firefighting, natural resource management, healthcare and weather forecasting.
Additionally, the executive order allows for telework flexibilities granted on a case-by-case basis, to be determined by an individual's circumstances. In accordance with Newsom's order, CalHR will issue statewide guidance on appropriate exceptions that will address employees whose positions require telework and employees who do not live near their duty stations who were hired with a mutually agreed-upon telework arrangement.
The order also strongly encourages independent constitutional offices — including the Lieutenant Governor, Attorney General, Secretary of State, State Controller, Superintendent of Public Instruction, Treasurer, and Insurance Commissioner — to adopt similar in-office mandates to "improve operational efficiency."
Local perspective
Newsom's order comes the week after San Francisco Mayor Daniel Lurie set an April 28 deadline for a similar change which will affect 10,000 city employees.
Lurie said the adjustment would improve in-office communication and boost the local economy. He has also pushed private companies to bring more workers back to downtown San Francisco to help the city recover from the pandemic.
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This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
The Hill
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Harris gives California governor's race a serious look
Kamala Harris is leaning toward entering the California gubernatorial race, sources familiar with the former vice president's thinking tell The Hill. While the sources caution that Harris hasn't made a final decision yet and is still considering all her options, they say she has made it clear that she is not done with public service and is giving the race strong consideration. Those who have spoken to Harris about the possibility of entering the race say it has given her a renewed sense of excitement and, as one source put it, 'a glimmer in her eyes.' 'She has a lot of people in her ear telling her that it makes the most sense and she can do the most good,' said one source who has spoken to Harris about a potential run. But another source close to Harris pushed back on the idea that she is inclined to enter the contest. The source said the topic of the gubernatorial race is dominating many of the conversations she is having simply because of the fast-approaching 2026 match-up. 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Barabak: Newsom stood tall against Trump. Does that make him presidential timber?
Today we discuss presidential politics, window treatments and disasters of the natural and man-made variety. Time for Gavin Newsom to start measuring those White House drapes. Huh? You know, president of the United States. I'm thinking something Earth-friendly, like recycled hemp. Wait, what? Did you catch the nationally televised speech the governor recently gave? The one about "democracy at a crossroads." I did. It was a fine speech and the governor made some important points about President Trump's reckless commandeering of California's National Guard, his administration's indiscriminate immigration raids and the wholly unnecessary dispatch of Marines to Los Angeles. (From the halls of Montezuma, to the shores of Venice Beach.) Newsom was plenty justified in his anger and contempt. Trump, acting true to his flame-fanning fashion, turned what was a middling set of protests — nothing local law enforcement couldn't handle — into yet another assault on our sorely tested Constitution. Newsom's speech certainly "met the moment," to use one of his favorite phrases. I'll grant you that. Unlike a lot of extracurricular activities aimed at boosting his presidential prospects, Newsom was addressing a Trump-manufactured crisis unfolding right here at home. It was a moment that called for gubernatorial leadership. Just the kind of leadership despondent Democrats need. So it's been said. It's not much of a leap to see Newsom leading the anti-Trump opposition clear to the White House! Actually, that's a bigger leap than it takes to clear the Grand Canyon. Read more: Barabak: Putting the bully in bully pulpit, Trump escalates in L.A. rather than seeking calm Granted, Newsom's speech received a lot of raves from Democrats across the country. Many are desperate for someone in a position of power to give voice to their blood-boiling, cranium-exploding rage against Trump and his many excesses. Newsom did a good job channeling those emotions and articulating the dangers of an imprudent president run amok. But let's not go overboard. There is no lack of Democrats eager to take on Trump and become the face of the so-called resistance. There is no shortage of Democrats eyeing a 2028 bid for the White House. Those who run won't be schlepping all the political baggage that Newsom has to tote. Such as? Rampant homelessness. An exploding budget deficit. Vast income inequality. Plus, a lot of social policies that many Californians consider beneficent and broad-minded that, to put it mildly, others around the country consider much less so. Don't get me wrong. I love California with all my heart and soul. But we have a lot of deep-seated problems and cultural idiosyncrasies that Newsom's rivals — Democrat and Republican — would be only too happy to hang around his neck. So let's not get too caught up in the moment. The fundamentals of the 2028 presidential race haven't changed based on a single — albeit well-received — speech. It's still hard to see Democrats turning the party's fate over to yet another nominee spawned in the liberal stew of San Francisco politics and campaigning with kooky California as a home address. Stranger things have happened. True. That said, 2028 is a zillion political light years and countless news cycles away. First come the midterm elections in November 2026, giving voters their chance to weigh in on Trump and his actions. The verdict will go a long way toward shaping the dynamic in 2028. Well at least Newsom has brought his A-game to social media. His trolling of Trump is something to behold! Whatever. Read more: Lopez: My theory for why Trump's agents targeted Dodger Stadium and a bus stop outside Winchell's You're not impressed? I think it's best to leave the snark to professionals. I do, however, have some sympathy for the governor. 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Asked last week if his "recent dust-ups" with Newsom would impact the granting of wildfire relief, Trump said, "Yeah, maybe." He called Newsom incompetent, trotted out more gobbledygook about raking forests and then soliloquized on the nature of personal relationships. "When you don't like somebody, don't respect somebody, it's harder for that person to get money if you're on top," Trump said. Yeesh. Responding in a posting on X, Newsom correctly noted, "Sucking up to the President should not be a requirement for him to do the right thing for the American people." Hard to argue with that. Yet here we are. The nation's second-most populous city is occupied by National Guard and Marine troops. Thousands of people — displaced by disaster, their past lives gone up in smoke — are hostage to the whims of a peevish president who always puts his feelings first and cares nothing for the greater good. The midterm election can't come soon enough. Get the latest from Mark Z. BarabakFocusing on politics out West, from the Golden Gate to the U.S. me up. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
