Senate committee considers bill to make remote-work standards a mandatory bargaining topic for state employees

The Senate Committee on Government Operations on Tuesday examined S.228, a bill that would add "terms and conditions of remote, in person, and hybrid work standards" to the State Employee Labor Relations Act, making remote-work policies a mandatory subject of collective bargaining for state employees.

Sophie Sedatnik of Legislative Council told the committee the change is short and specific: the bill would add the subject as item number 11 on page three of the statute so employers and bargaining units must negotiate those standards. "This is a bill that would impact the State Employees' Labor Relations Act," Sedatnik said, summarizing the proposal and noting that the statute already contains broad bargaining topics.

The bill sponsor said she brought S.228 after receiving constituent complaints about a recent executive-branch return-to-office order. "I heard from many of mine about the concern with the return to office order," the sponsor said, describing the measure as an attempt to give affected employees and units a structured way to negotiate schedules and conditions rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all mandate.

Senator White said he supported the bill and urged the committee to seek broader input before action. "I would be very supportive of this bill moving forward," he said, while also suggesting the committee consider a public hearing or additional testimony so employees experiencing significant schedule or commute changes can be heard.

Lawmakers described several implementation challenges: agencies have applied return-to-office requirements inconsistently; some employees who relocated out of state continue to work remotely, while others have faced long new commutes; and agencies report limited desk or office space that has constrained flexible scheduling. Committee members also raised equity concerns, saying caregivers and new parents have been disproportionately affected by sudden changes to remote-work arrangements.

Members asked the committee to seek factual information on staffing and turnover (how many employees the state had before 2020 and how many left or retired since), and on current agency policies. A committee member mentioned an approximate figure of "about 8,000 state employees" as a point of comparison; the committee did not treat that number as a formal finding.

The committee agreed to invite Agency of Administration officials, including Sarah Clark, and Buildings and General Services leadership such as Wanda Manoli, along with state employee representatives, to explain how the administration implemented the return-to-office policy and how units are handling scheduling and space. The moderator said the item will be scheduled "maybe next week" for additional testimony and discussion. No formal motion or vote on S.228 occurred during the session.

The committee recessed and will reconvene to continue consideration of S.228 and to hear invited witnesses.