Remote work in danger in the United States: this state has forced its employees to return to the office
The governor of California signed an executive order that has caused a series of positive and negative reactions.
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The model of telecommuting or home office in the United States, at least in the state of California, begins to be in jeopardy in a certain way after Governor Gavin Newsom signed an executive order for thousands of employees to return to in-person work.
According to the statute, which aims to "improve efficiency and collaboration within state institutions," about 95 thousand employees will have to resume their work activities in offices or work centers.
The same order also established that the decision will take effect starting on July 1st of this year, with an obligation, for now, of at least four days of presence in the office.
What does this measure imply for telecommuting in the United States?
According to Newsom, this work dynamic is fundamental in the current labor scheme because the physical presence of employees can help strengthen the operation of state institutions.
In addition to the above, he also emphasized that a physical environment allows for better collaboration, encouraging innovation and increasing employee responsibility. Likewise, he mentioned that collaboration and accountability are key points to reapply this work modality in the present day.
It is important to mention that, according to Newsom, the measure aims to provide "equity" among the more than 224 thousand state employees, since more than half of them have worked in person after the COVID-19 pandemic in 2020.
Reactions against the elimination of telecommuting
Governor Newsom's decision, logically, has caused a series of diverse reactions in different sectors. Within the governmental scheme, certain public figures mention that this could help boost productivity and efficiency in various departments.
However, there have been more voices of rejection against Governor Newsom's order, which point out that the traditional work modality can affect productivity and the well-being of employees, two key elements for those working in home office. This is the case of CASE union president Timothy O'Connor, who has expressed his rejection of this measure.
According to O'Connor, the order lacks foundations, in addition to reducing flexibility and productivity of workers in general. Therefore, both the CASE union and other labor groups have made appeals to counteract the order.
Up to now, and despite the series of rejections from various organizations, the government of California maintains the statute signed by the Democratic governor, which will come into effect on July 1.
*This article has been automatically translated using artificial intelligence
