Clocking in from the couch could soon become the permanent way California does business.<\/p>\n
\u200bOn Wednesday, Assemblymember Alex Lee\u2019s bill to allow state workers to continue teleworking<\/a> sailed through the Committee on Public Employment and Retirement, clearing a key legislative hurdle.<\/p>\n \u200bAB 1729 would require each state agency to develop its own teleworking plan and assist in developing remote-work options \u2014 but a veto from Gov. Gavin Newsom could eventually be looming.<\/p>\n Assemblymember Alex Lee, a Democratic socialist like Sen. Bernie Sanders, is pushing a bill to maintain remote work. Instagram\/@alex_lee<\/p>\n \u200bLee, a Democratic socialist who represents Fremont and parts of San Jose, along supporters from the public employee union SEIU Local 1000 have been banging the drum on continuing pandemic-era work practices. They argue that remote work not only increases worker efficiency but also helps state workers who are struggling to pay bills. <\/p>\n They also cite state estimates that remote work would slash office space requirements and save the state as much as $225 million a year in office space.<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cIt is real health care money, it is real school money \u2014 money that could be spent more efficiently,\u201d Lee said during Wednesday\u2019s hearing, adding that it costs state workers roughly $6,000 a year to come into office four times a week.<\/p>\n \u200bLee noted that the state had an online dashboard showing the benefits of telework from 2020 to 2024, and that AB 1729 would bring it back.<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cRemote and hybrid workplaces are becoming the standard for a wide range of jobs,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u200bThe legislation stands in contrast to Newsom\u2019s executive order last year, which will require all state workers to be back in the office four days a week starting in July.<\/p>\n Gov. Gavin Newsom issued an executive order in 2025 calling for state workers to return to offices four days a week. Bloomberg via Getty Images<\/p>\n \u200b\u201cIn-person work makes us all stronger \u2014 period,\u201d Newsom said in a statement in March 2025<\/a>.<\/p>\n \u201cWhen 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.\u201d<\/p>\n The governor\u2019s order, which would increase the current two-day in-office requirement to four days, has faced resistance from unions and workers, delaying full implementation. <\/p>\n Newsom\u2019s office does not usually comment on pending legislation and did not immediately respond to a request for comment on AB 1729.<\/p>\n Lee\u2019s legislation would effectively suspend Newsom\u2019s directive requiring most state employees to work in person four days a week and instead allow individual state agencies to set their own telework policies.<\/p>\n It also calls for the development of agency-specific telework plans and a statewide dashboard to track cost savings tied to remote work.<\/p>\n \u201cSince we are, of course, in a deficit situation, $225 million is nothing to joke about,\u201d Lee said during the hearing.<\/p>\n State public employee unions are supporting Assemblymember Alex Lee\u2019s bill to solidify remote work policies. AP<\/p>\n Dozens of state workers testified that telework reduces commuting expenses, improves work-life balance, and allows agencies to operate efficiently without requiring daily office presence, according to a Sacramento Bee report.<\/p>\n Some also pushed back on the idea that employees should return to offices to support downtown Sacramento businesses. <\/p>\n \u201cI hate to sound harsh but that\u2019s not the problem of our employees,\u201d Anica Walls, president of SEIU Local 1000, said in a report<\/a>. \u201cIt\u2019s not our job to make sure the businesses in Downtown thrive.\u201d<\/p>\n The area around the Capitol is often a ghost town most days due to a lack of workers in the area, and many businesses have closed down. Sacramento Mayor Kevin McCarty has previously supported Newsom\u2019s call for a return to more in-office work.<\/p>\n \u201cHaving more people working downtown delivers tremendous economic and social benefits to Sacramento,\u201d McCarty said in a statement to PBS KVIE.<\/p>\n