Since the pandemic, flexible work arrangements have empowered tens of thousands of women, parents, caretakers, and disabled people to stay in the workplace while managing the demands of motherhood, child rearing, family, and health. Gov. Newsom’s misguided insistence that all workers sit at a desk in a government office from 9 to 5 means that women and disabled individuals are dropping out of the workforce, depriving their families of needed income and the state of their expertise.

What is RTO?

RTO stands for Return-to-Office, and is a blanket mandate issued by California Governor Gavin Newsom that requires all state workers under his executive authority to report to a desk in a government office at least four days a week regardless of agency need, office space, or cost to taxpayers.

RTO is an outdated requirement that runs contrary to California’s innovative ethos. Rather than developing a civil service or workforce of the future, the RTO mandate is a step backward to the regressive workforce and environmental problems of the past.

Why is RTO bad for California?

• Cost to Taxpayers
  Telework has helped state workers deliver huge gains in efficiency for California taxpayers without compromising quality. According to a report by California’s State Auditor, Newsom’s 4-day in-office mandate would cost taxpayers an additional $225 million annually.
  
  
• Environmental Impact
  
  According to the State Auditor, the mandate would result in 15,115 metric tons of CO2 emissions per month from state employees returning to the office.
  
  Governor Newsom, through the California Air Resources Board, laid out an ambitious scoping plan to make California carbon neutral by 2045. The Governor’s own scoping plan states that electric vehicles are simply not enough to achieve this feat and that achieving carbon neutrality requires reducing the total number of vehicle miles traveled. The RTO mandate undermines that goal by increasing vehicle miles traveled by as much as 50 million commute miles per month.
  
  Flexible work and telework significantly reduces the smog and congestion in the cities and communities we live in and should remain an option.
  
  
• Equity Issues
  
  The RTO mandate holds up a “Need Not Apply” sign to mothers, caregivers, people whose disabilities make commuting or working in an office environment difficult, and those living in our state’s rural areas. Encouraging a diverse workforce means implementing policies that allow all Californians to participate. Supporting working families means allowing women and caregivers the flexibility to work how best works for them while still fulfilling their work obligations.