New Jersey lawmakers will consider a measure that would require all state employees to return to the office five days a week.

Sponsored by state Sen. Joe Pennacchio, R-26th District, the bill would “prohibit remote work” for workers in career, senior executive and unclassified services.

In a statement, the senator said, “While remote work was necessary at the onset of the pandemic, it has become clear that in-person collaboration is essential for maximizing productivity, accountability, and effective service to the public.”

“State agencies are most efficient when employees work together face-to-face, and while I recognize the importance of work-life balance, I believe this transition will strengthen teamwork and improve the delivery of services to the New Jersey residents who rely on them. The taxpayers of New Jersey deserve to know that the State’s workforce is showing up for a full day’s work and will be there to answer the phone when called upon,” Pennacchio said.

A companion bill has not yet been introduced in the state Assembly.

Staying competitive

Under current law, the New Jersey Civil Service Commission must adopt rules for state employees’ hours of work. As part of a pilot program approved and established by the commission in April 2022, state employees have the option to work remote up to two days per week.

Officials have said the telework arrangement allows state agencies to better compete with the private sector in talent recruitment and retention by offering more workplace flexibility.

In June 2023, CSC approved a motion to extend the initiative for another year. At the time, officials reported the pilot has been positive and a number of divisions saw increased employee productivity.

Pennachio’s bill comes as a growing number of organizations, such as Amazon, JPMorgan Chase & Co., AT&T and The Washington Post, call their staff back to the office on a full-time basis. 

Also, Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, tapped to lead President-elect Donald Trump’s new Department of Government Efficiency, have said they support requiring federal employees to work in-person five days per week.

However, many American workers say they’d rather find a new job than give up working from home, according to a recent Pew Research Center study. About 75% of employees surveyed work remote at least some of the time. Nearly half of them said if their employer no longer allowed them to log in from home, they’d likely leave that job.

See also:

• Flexible work arrangements help women find more equal footing
• Experts explore changing nature of the workplace