Gavin Newsom’s return-to-office rules are stricter than many states, including Texas

California Governor Gavin Newsom's four-day return-to-office mandate for state workers has created an ironic standoff: he's now tougher on remote work than Republican Texas Governor Greg Abbott, who backed down from a similar ban after three months. Per CalMatters, the state's largest public employee union—representing ninety-six thousand workers—opposes the policy, which took effect July first, arguing remote work proved effective during the pandemic and could save California two hundred twenty-five million dollars annually. But Newsom has held firm, insisting in-person work builds collaboration and community. The stance has unsettled even Democratic allies; most other blue states, including Colorado, Hawaii, Illinois, Massachusetts, New York, Oregon, and Washington, maintain remote-work options.

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