On June 11, 2026, SEIU Local 1000 held a meet-and-confer session with the State Coastal Conservancy (SCC) regarding the Return-to-Office (RTO) mandate, which will be effective July 1, 2026. During the meeting, the team confirmed that medical exemptions are not available; employees must go through the reasonable accommodations process. However, if an employee’s home address is 50 miles or more from their worksite and they had a mutually agreed-upon telework policy in place as of March 2025, they may qualify for an exemption. SCC indicated that they would consider other requests on a case-by-case basis.
The team clarified that no workgroups are exempt from RTO based on the nature of their work. SCC is not tracking or measuring the impact of the RTO on collaboration, cohesion, or team building. Furthermore, they stated that they will not revert the mandate if it is determined that the RTO negatively impacts on the department’s productivity, staffing, or morale.
All employees will be required to work four days in the office, regardless of their time base or alternative workweek schedule. Tuesday has been designated as the core day for in-office work, but employees can discuss their teleworking days with their supervisors.
Telework days may be adjusted in coordination with a supervisor or manager. There is sufficient workspace for everyone, and currently, no one is sharing workstations. Employees do not need to bring their equipment to the office, as everyone is assigned a laptop at home. However, employees may be expected to bring their laptops to the office if operational issues arise that require attention, if software or license updates are needed, or as directed by management. Otherwise, employee workstations will be equipped with computers and monitors. Working in the office will not interfere with employees’ workflow. If employees require accommodation, they can follow the reasonable accommodation process.
SCC confirmed they intend to move forward with 4 days in office, per the Governor’s mandate.
In response to the RTO mandate and what is happening at the bargaining table, SEIU Local 1000 is planning a Holding the Line Rally at the Capitol to make our voices heard. Please join us on July 1 as we continue fighting for Telework that Works and the contract state workers deserve.