"On Friday, the Professional Engineers in California Government introduced legislation that would require departments to develop a telework plan and a "detailed, written justification" as to why workers' presence in person is critical to the agency's operational needs. Assembly Bill 1729, which is authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee, D-San Jose, is designed to protect telework options for eligible state workers, the state engineers union said in a news release."
"When state employees first started working remotely during the pandemic, the Newsom administration published a public-facing dashboard that touted the reductions in emissions and monthly savings from telework. The state sunset that dashboard in 2024, but Lee's bill would reestablish that website to publicize the benefits of remote work. The bill would also codify findings from the California State Auditor's report last year that estimated the state could save as much as $225 million annually by reducing state-owned and leased office space."
State workers responded last year to a return-to-office order with demonstrations and mocking billboards. The Professional Engineers in California Government introduced Assembly Bill 1729, authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee, to require departments to develop telework plans and a detailed, written justification for why in-person presence is critical to operations. The bill aims to protect telework options for eligible state employees and increase transparency around costs of a four-day in-person workweek. The measure would restore a public dashboard showing telework benefits and codify a State Auditor estimate of up to $225 million in annual savings from reduced office space. The Governor's Office disagreed with that estimate. The bill contains an urgency clause to take effect immediately upon the governor's signature.
Read at Sacramento Bee
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