Liston Asks Governor to Rescind Blanket Order for State Employees to Return to In-Person Work

This week, state Senator Beth Liston (D-Dublin) sent a letter to Governor Mike DeWine asking him to rescind his executive order mandating that state employees return to in-person work with only one month's notice.

“On behalf of the voters of Ohio’s 16th Senate District and myself, I urge you to rescind your recent executive order mandating that state employees return to full-time in-office work,” Liston wrote. “A blanket requirement to return to an office setting undermines the many different working environments that have been established across the state to meet the needs of Ohioans.”

Remote work has been an option for some state employees for years, including before the start of the COVID pandemic when remote work options were expanded. Research shows that flexible workplace policies increase workers’ efficiency,  job satisfaction, and retention. Further, the state was able to save millions of dollars by reducing leased real estate when remote work policies were utilized.

Executive Order 2025-01D, signed on Tuesday by Governor DeWine, reverses this long-standing practice. The order mandates that all permanent state employees work in the physical office of their state employer, not a remote location, by March 17, 2025. 

“My office has had many constituents reach out with notable concerns,” the letter continued. “Specifically, how increased commute time will expand childcare needs which are very difficult to meet in our state, particularly with only one month's notice. For some, the travel would waste several hours a day, disproportionately impacting those in rural communities.”

Read the full letter here.