Lawmakers weigh state remote-work pilot after survey finds agencies using temporary policies

Representative Mayberry introduced an interim study proposal on remote-work policies for state agencies and invited Russell (Dr.) Jones and Legislative Research staff to brief the committee on survey findings and options.

Dr. Jones summarized a Legislative Research survey of 15 departments (August 2022) showing 80% reported remote-work practices, most policies were temporary or emergency, and many agencies used flexible scheduling. The survey reported that 53% of responding departments found remote options helped recruitment and 87% said it supported employee retention. Dr. Jones also cited broader national trends and cautioned remote work is not appropriate for all jobs, noting productivity effects vary by job type.

Committee members raised concerns about accountability, Americans with Disabilities Act compliance, customer service impacts for public-facing offices, costs of technology and office-space hotelling, and broadband availability in rural areas. Several members suggested a hybrid pilot limited to certain job classes, with written agreements, supervisor and employee training, metrics for productivity and communication requirements modeled after federal telework guidance.

Representative Mayberry asked for continued study and suggested a two-year pilot to collect cost-savings data and performance measures. Committee members asked that agencies provide more complete participation data and that Legislative Research and agency leaders return with implementation options and safeguards.

Next steps include further interagency consultation, possible pilot design, and a follow-up review in a subsequent session.