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Dive Brief:
Tens of thousands of California state government workers are heading back to the office this week as a mandate from Gov. Gavin Newsom requiring agencies to make four in-office days the default takes effect.
The policy could expose the inadequacy of the state’s office space to accommodate workers, say consultants and others who’ve analyzed workers’ changing views over what constitutes a productive work environment. “Employees need space to focus, space to collaborate, and space to connect but most offices manage one, maybe two,” says Adam Morgan, co-founder of furniture and design company Bureau.
The state’s mandate has drawn pushback from local unions and other groups that say the requirement will hurt recruitment and retention while increasing costs.
