January 15, 2026: CPUC Meeting on RTO

On Thursday January 15th, SEIU Local 1000 met with CPUC a second time regarding their implementation of a 2-day in office hybrid schedule (RTO).

We were able to get further clarity and confirm that exemptions for the current 50 mile rule do NOT extend for promotions, new employees, or lateral moves.

During this second meeting, the team also formally proposed the following to CPUC to help mitigate the impact of returning to the office in person on CPUC employees:

Reducing the 50 mile exemption distance to 25 miles for San Francisco and Los Angeles Counties
Extending the exemptions to all staff, current and future, so that promotions and lateral movements will not eliminate or otherwise jeopardize the exemption continuing
CPUC sharing the financial burden and splitting the cost
Health and Safety walk throughs in all worksites within 30 days

We are looking to schedule a time to meet again to get CPUC’s responses to our proposals in the near future.

In Solidarity,
SEIU Local 1000
PUC Steward Team

1 Comment

Paul on February 12, 2026 at 2:04 pm

A Worker in Unit 1

25 miles seems more reasonable than 50 miles for an exemption from RTO. I live 44.4 miles from the office, and last year, 2025, my managers declined my exception. In Southern California I drive over 2 hours in to work, and about 2 1/2 hours back home. If I were forced to drive into the office everyday; it would not be possible. The gas costs, physical and mental exhaustion take their toll. After Tuesday, I was literally a walking vegetable. I survived, because I caught up on sleep on the weekends, and took naps all day on Sunday. Everyone at work gets in a nasty mood, after drinking tons of coffee. Our office collaboration is zero. Most of the time we have a situation where security is focused around the employee’s altercations and arguments, rather than on general public: This is because there are very few non-employees visiting the state offices, most things are accomplished online. One of our job duties is to conduct field calls to the business owners, and this is best accomplished in different radiuses surrounding each worker’s home, not parting from the office. All of our interactions are better done through email, phone, fax and through Microsoft teams. This includes learning, instructing, and sending critical documents to the taxpayer’s. Thus, for our office, the current hybrid of two days maximum works best, any more days required in the office are useless, and a drain on the EDD’s and the employees resources. Not only that there is a safety issue that arises from driving so many hours, because every morning I pass from two to three accidents scenes; some of them minor, others major, including fatalities. The EDD should not seek to build brick and mortar offices in every city. This is a waste of taxpayer’s money, especially in this era with the AI technology that will most likely reduce the need for employees at every level, and in every job nationwide. Additionally, it extends equal opportunities to those job seekers, who may not live near major cities, yet can still make a valuable contribution to the EDD, by representing the EDD on field visits in their particular city and vicinity. By maintaining hybrid equality in hiring is possible. Employees who live in inner city, and in the remote areas of the state won’t have to drive every day in to a mostly useless office. Let’s face it: It is difficult for the executive management to effectuate changes, so in order to justify their high salaries, it is easier for them to go back to the traditional way of conducting business, which was inefficient , and more draining to the state budget. There is more fixed office costs for the offices: heating, electricity, security, and general maintenance on the grounds. A lot of them while highly knowledgeable become like highly paid sitters of adults. Their expertise is better obtained via phone or electronically. Incidentally, the managers, and higher paid individuals are the least seen in the physical offices, as they find meetings or other excuses to skate it. The lowest paid workers, will be there enduring the illogical, self-serving choices of their management legacy. Note that the largest office, have the number of employees, positions with varying salaries, and the most managers. This is discriminatory to the surrounding smaller offices, that do not have opportunities for advancement to a higher position, because these higher posts are simply not available at the smaller offices. So going back more days to the office perpetuates the problems of inequality in hiring due to location that we have discussed, and promotions.

Paul on February 12, 2026 at 2:04 pm

A Worker in Unit 1

25 miles seems more reasonable than 50 miles for an exemption from RTO. I live 44.4 miles from the office, and last year, 2025, my managers declined my exception. In Southern California I drive over 2 hours in to work, and about 2 1/2 hours back home. If I were forced to drive into the office everyday; it would not be possible. The gas costs, physical and mental exhaustion take their toll. After Tuesday, I was literally a walking vegetable. I survived, because I caught up on sleep on the weekends, and took naps all day on Sunday. Everyone at work gets in a nasty mood, after drinking tons of coffee. Our office collaboration is zero. Most of the time we have a situation where security is focused around the employee’s altercations and arguments, rather than on general public: This is because there are very few non-employees visiting the state offices, most things are accomplished online. One of our job duties is to conduct field calls to the business owners, and this is best accomplished in different radiuses surrounding each worker’s home, not parting from the office. All of our interactions are better done through email, phone, fax and through Microsoft teams. This includes learning, instructing, and sending critical documents to the taxpayer’s. Thus, for our office, the current hybrid of two days maximum works best, any more days required in the office are useless, and a drain on the EDD’s and the employees resources. Not only that there is a safety issue that arises from driving so many hours, because every morning I pass from two to three accidents scenes; some of them minor, others major, including fatalities. The EDD should not seek to build brick and mortar offices in every city. This is a waste of taxpayer’s money, especially in this era with the AI technology that will most likely reduce the need for employees at every level, and in every job nationwide. Additionally, it extends equal opportunities to those job seekers, who may not live near major cities, yet can still make a valuable contribution to the EDD, by representing the EDD on field visits in their particular city and vicinity. By maintaining hybrid equality in hiring is possible. Employees who live in inner city, and in the remote areas of the state won’t have to drive every day in to a mostly useless office. Let’s face it: It is difficult for the executive management to effectuate changes, so in order to justify their high salaries, it is easier for them to go back to the traditional way of conducting business, which was inefficient , and more draining to the state budget. There is more fixed office costs for the offices: heating, electricity, security, and general maintenance on the grounds. A lot of them while highly knowledgeable become like highly paid sitters of adults. Their expertise is better obtained via phone or electronically. Incidentally, the managers, and higher paid individuals are the least seen in the physical offices, as they find meetings or other excuses to skate it. The lowest paid workers, will be there enduring the illogical, self-serving choices of their management legacy. Note that the largest office, have the number of employees, positions with varying salaries, and the most managers. This is discriminatory to the surrounding smaller offices, that do not have opportunities for advancement to a higher position, because these higher posts are simply not available at the smaller offices. So going back more days to the office perpetuates the problems of inequality in hiring due to location that we have discussed, and promotions.