California state agencies won’t report telework data anymore as workers return to office
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California’s most reputable source for telework data will indeed disappear from the internet soon, according to a new memo from CalHR’s top brass.
The Department of General Services monitored the state’s emergency implementation of telework policies during the COVID-19 pandemic and provided support with IT security, equipment tracking, facility use monitoring and training. The DGS Telework Compliance Office also collected and analyzed self-reported telework data from departments, conducted surveys to assess the efficacy of telework and assessed departmental compliance with telework requirements.
But due to budget troubles and the state’s push to bring workers back to the office, Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2024-25 budget cut funding for the DGS telework office.
DGS and CalHR initially did not answer questions about what would happen to the state’s telework dashboard and other survey data collected by the telework office staff. But a Friday memo from CalHR Director Eraina Ortega confirmed that the website would soon be deactivated.
“In the coming weeks, DGS will provide modified instructions for telework data reporting and prepare to sunset www.telework.dgs.ca.gov, including the telework dashboard,” read Ortega’s email to departmental leadership.
“This will result in reduced reporting requirements for departments and DGS.”
Ortega noted that DGS and CalHR will conduct “periodic surveys” to collect information about telework, but “departments will be advised of those needs in the future.”
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