Arbitrator Upholds CalPERS’s Return-to-Office Policy Over Union Objections

In a recent ruling, a labor arbitrator has determined that California state agencies could require in-office attendance for employees, despite remote-work rights outlined in union contracts. The decision stems from a dispute between the California Public Employees’ Retirement System (CalPERS) and the state attorneys’ union, coinciding with the Newsom administration’s upcoming June deadline for in-office work. Last month, the governor’s office sent out a memo to the 240,000 state workers announcing the new requirement to work in the office at least two days a week starting June 17, saying departments’ uneven approaches on the issue “have created confusion around expectations and are likely to exacerbate inconsistencies across agencies and departments.”...