On June 11, 2026 SEIU Local 1000 held a meet and confer with the Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) regarding the Return-to-Office mandate effective July 1, 2026. The team was able to confirm exemptions for medical or Reasonable Accommodations as well as if an employee address was 50 miles or more from their worksite and had a mutually agreeable telework policy in place as of March 2025. DHCS confirmed they will also consider other requests on a case-by-case basis, and that management would have discretion to consider request to flex remote days or work remote on a case-by-case basis depending on individual circumstances.
The team was also able to clarify:
- The plan is to have employees assigned to individual desks.
- PPE is not being ordered, and when what is available is gone, employees that want PPE will have to bring in their own.
- Employees on AWW will still need to comply with 4 days in office, and that may mean they are not eligible for telework (4/10 schedules).
- There is no expectation to make up in office days in order to meet 4 days in office per week. However, if there is an operational need, employees may be required to make up in office days missed.
- Field days for field staff count as in office days.
- No work groups are exempt based on the nature of the work they do.
- DHCS is not tracking or measuring the impact of RTO on collaboration, cohesion, or team building, and that they would not be able to revert back if it was determined RTO had a negative impact on the department, productivity, staffing, or morale.
- DHCS did not identify issues or concerns with their telework policy, nor had plans to change it prior to the Executive Order.
The team made several proposals to DHCS regarding full time telework, parking, safe access, and commute assistance. The department confirmed they would consider and follow up at a later date during a follow up meeting.
DHCS also left many items that still require follow up and further clarification, such as ergonomic evaluations, the process for Reasonable Accommodation final decisions, expectations for equipment in remote offices, impact to current 100% full time remote employees, any plans for updates to cleaning or maintenance.
However, DHCS 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.