Minnesota loosens distance exemption on state employee return to office order

Yahoo

01-05-2025

Conditions of Gov. Tim Walz's order for state employees to return to the office at least half-time are loosening as the state continues negotiating a new contract with thousands of employees.
Under a recent revision to the remote work rule, workers will now be exempt if they live more than 50 miles from their main work site. When Walz first issued the order in late March, the distance was 75 miles.
Around 60% of state employees currently work in person and did so throughout the pandemic, according to the governor's office. The state has about 50,000 employees.
Employees working remotely will have to report to the office at least 50% of the time starting June 1, if Walz doesn't change his order.
The change to the distance part of the rule comes as the state negotiates a new contract with the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees, which represents about 18,000 state workers.
In a statement, Megan Dayton, the union's president, said they were aware of the threshold change but that they still oppose the return to office order.
'We view this as a cosmetic adjustment to an inherently flawed policy that continues to disrupt state operations, require unnecessary costs and destabilize the workforce without addressing any clear operational need,' she wrote.
Dayton didn't offer further comment as contract negotiations with the state are ongoing, though she added MAPE will continue to advocate for a 'telework policy that reflects modern workforce realities and respects the expertise and needs of public employees.'
State employee unions said Walz's return-to-office order in late March took them by 'total surprise.' They argued it meant significant disruptions to the lives of families, who may have to find new day care arrangements or ways to balance in-office work with taking kids to and from school.
The governor at the time said bringing employees back to the office would help state agencies boost collaboration and 'build strong organizational cultures more easily.'
'We think this is reasonable, it's certainly within the realm of where most other states go,' Walz said, while speaking with reporters outside the Capitol on Wednesday.
St. Paul Mayor Melvin Carter said he had been discussing the change with the governor for weeks before the announcement.
In August, Carter announced that St. Paul would require city employees to return to work in person three days a week starting on April 1.
Many have argued bringing more state workers back to the office will bring a much-needed boost to an ailing downtown St. Paul, which is home to many state government agencies.
The district has struggled recently with high office vacancies following the rise of remote work during the pandemic, something business owners say has hurt their bottom lines.
Business leaders welcomed Walz's change, with the St. Paul Area Chamber calling it a much needed 'shot in the arm.'
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