On March 3rd, 2025, Governor Gavin Newsom issued an Executive Order requiring that California State workers return to work, from working remotely at home, to in person four days a week, effective July 1st, 2025. The Order will continue to offer case-by-case telework exceptions, if necessary. It also includes a goal to hire former federal workers along with firefighters and forest service staff seeking employment throughout this transition.
Working for the State
As a State employee, I work as a “Custodian I.” I’m responsible for the daily cleaning at the Franchise Tax Board building in Sacramento. I work Mondays through Fridays from 5:00am-1:30pm. My responsibilities include the upkeep of the building and its designated spaces, ensuring they are clean and well-maintained. This involves a range of standard custodial duties such as sweeping, mopping, and vacuuming. This work is under the Department of General Services (DGS) and it supports the operation and maintenance of the building in accordance with the State of California’s policies, procedures, and guidelines.
After learning about the Order, the first thing I thought of was those who have been working remotely the past few years since I know it’s going to affect them the most. I reached out over email to my colleague and fellow State employee, Meredith Frazer, a Staff Services Manager I (Specialist) and Upward Mobility Program Coordinator with the Upward Mobility Program about this. She said, “I was not aware of it until it was announced publicly, and when I did hear about it I was shocked.” Frazer works in the pyramid-shaped, Ziggurat building in West Sacramento.
As a Specialist she is responsible for performing complex management analysis in different areas, preparing high-level reports and presentations, and coordinating work for the Human Resources department. As an Upward Mobility Program Coordinator, she is responsible for administering and implementing programs that support employees in advancing to higher-paying positions within a company. She assists employees with career development, setting hiring goals, and reporting on the program’s progress.
Issues with the Return to Office
Before this Order, Frazer worked in the office two days a week and three days remotely. In an email interview she said, “State employees who have positions that allow for working from home should be able to continue to do so, while still coming into the office two days a week, which I believe is a fair balance.” She explained further that it goes against employee’s rights to collective bargaining through the Dills Act and environmental goals. She said:
“I have many concerns about the executive order ranging from it’s abrupt delivery, the total lack of regard for the Dills Act, the implications for the state climate goals and budget deficit, the implications for state workers and their families, and the reasoning for the order– completely baseless claims that four days in the office is for ‘collaboration and productivity’ when we all know this order has nothing to do with worker productivity or collaboration and everything to do with commercial real estate.”
In another email interview with State employee and union job steward, Michelle Haunold-Lorenz, I learned how she felt about returning to the office. She said:
“I think this is very shortsighted of our governor and leadership, and I’m very disappointed that our leadership was so quick to dismiss any of the benefits that just a few years earlier were being highlighted as great successes.”
Haunold-Lorenz is steward with the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) 1000 union that represents employees who work at the Franchise Tax Board agency and the State of California. SEIU is known for dedicating themselves to making a difference in workers and their families’ lives while impacting society in the best way possible. Job stewards plays multiple important roles by organizing meetings for union members, assisting those with job related issues, educating on updates that pertain to the union contract or future events, and being supportive as worksite leaders.
Issues facing Custodians
For custodians, I can definitely say that the return-to-work will impact our work by the fact that it’s guaranteed to be an overload, as far as there being more trash to pick up from the employees’ cubicles, more detailing in the window cleaning, more cleaning of the bathrooms, more vacuuming on the floors, maybe cleaning up any biohazards if they happen, having to check and stock the bathrooms maybe three to four times a day instead of once or twice a day, and probably being asked to complete random tasks out of the ordinary, which can become a problem as well.
In addition to that, I also feel like the customer service will be horrible and disrespectful to where people won’t care or appreciate the work that we do to keep the building running smoothly. In fact, it might be so bad to where the employees will probably make multiple messes on purpose and not even care. Although there are job postings available for Custodian I positions, I think there should be more positions posted where every state building is almost fully staffed, and we won’t have to worry about coverage too much.
While there’s been a lot of focus on the Executive Order to return-to-work, there’s been another change by the State that may make it harder for people to get jobs like mine. A requirement went into effect in 2025 to submit a “Statement of Qualifications” (SOQ) when applying for Custodian I jobs. I honestly thought it was a joke when I looked at one of the postings, but after checking out the other job postings that were posted for a Custodian I and Custodial Supervisor I position, I definitely knew something was up and it wasn’t going to be pretty.
Limitations
To find out how others might be feeling about this, I reached out to Ana Herrera, a Sacramento resident and Secretary at American Lakes Elementary School. She’s an acquaintance and she told me that she wants to apply for a Custodian I position with the State of California, so it made sense to not only communicate with her but to also get her perspective on how she felt. She said, “I was not expecting that kind of requirement, but I’m not bothered by it because I have to do what is necessary to get the Custodian I position. Although, I do think that it’ll possibly hurt any candidates that either don’t have any computer skills or know someone who is already employed with the State of California.”
Lee Lorta, current West Sacramento resident and former Custodian I employee with the State of California also gave me his view in an interview. He said, “In my opinion, there should not be an additional requirement to provide a document for one of the easiest positions, like it’s unnecessary. There’s no reason for that. It’s like they’re adding more requirements to make it harder. The point of having that makes no sense to me.”
SEIU 1000 Steward, Haunold-Lorenz told me, “I think this additional requirement will seriously hurt potential candidates in the long run. It is a discriminatory limiting practice, and that’s only put in place when employers are looking for highly skilled office employees. Why would they include that limiting document for a custodial position?”
Voicing our Views
The fact that an Executive Order is requiring that most State employees return back to work four days a week is a decision that might not be satisfying to everyone. The same goes for the additional requirement to write a SOQ when applying for a custodial position. I know there will be questions, if there aren’t questions already, about this requirement, and the answers will either be satisfying or unsatisfying.
The SOQ is one of those requirements that is either going to change for the better, or change for the worse. The best we can do is work with our union representatives to review the new requirements and get input from staff to address the concerns. If there’s a time to fight for something, the time is now, especially if you have a preference. Although it is a long shot, just know that a long shot is better than no shot.
Written, Reported and Photographed by Markeyetta Sherman
