2024-118 State Telework Policies
Although In-Office Work Has Benefits, a One‑Size‑Fits‑All Approach to Telework Is Counter to State Policy and May Limit Opportunities for Significant Cost Savings
Published: August 12, 2025
Audit Recommendations Disclosure
When an audit is completed and a report is issued, auditees must provide the State Auditor with information regarding their progress in implementing recommendations from our reports at three intervals from the release of the report: 60 days, six months, and one year. Additionally, Senate Bill 1452 (Chapter 452, Statutes of 2006), requires auditees who have not implemented recommendations after one year, to report to us and to the Legislature why they have not implemented them or to state when they intend to implement them. Below is a listing of each recommendation the State Auditor made in the report referenced and a link to the most recent response from the auditee addressing their progress in implementing the recommendation and the State Auditor’s assessment of auditee’s response based on our review of the supporting documentation.
Recommendation to the Legislature
Recommendation 1
If the Legislature would like to achieve some of the potential savings that we have identified in our assessment of the use of office space under teleworking conditions, it should amend state law to require departments to identify positions that can successfully telework three or more days per week and to offer this level of telework to those employees. The law should also require these departments to then reduce their overall office space usage, if prudent, such as by consolidating office space in state-owned buildings and ending leases in commercially owned buildings.
Agency response status:
Not fully implemented
Date of implementation:
N/A
State Auditor assessment status:
No action taken
60-Day Agency Response
As of 10/11/25, the Legislature has not taken any action in the 2025/26 Legislative Session to address this specific recommendation.
Recommendation to the CA Department of General Services
Recommendation 2
To facilitate departments in measuring whether their telework programs benefit the State and its employees, DGS should update the statewide telework policy to provide guidance for departments to follow when evaluating their telework programs’ effectiveness in meeting the goals of the statewide telework policy.
Agency response status:
Will not implement
State Auditor assessment status:
Will not implement
60-Day Agency Response
Absent legislative funding for telework-related duties, and in light of potential shifts of responsibility of the telework program to another department, DGS cannot implement the recommendation at this time.
6-Month Agency Response
DGS continues to look at criteria to provide guidance to state department telework programs, in coordination with the administration.
1-Year Agency Response
DGS has reviewed the recommendation, criteria, and administration needed for providing guidance to state department telework programs for effectiveness in meeting the goals of the statewide telework policy. Upon further review, the implementation of a telework program is an operational issue, and one that directly relates to the performance of state departments, providing guidance or criteria to all state departments in a way that would be comprehensive for each department’s role/mission is outside of DGS’ expertise. With the publication of a statewide telework policy that offers departments great latitude in adopting a telework program suitable to their operations, DGS’ expertise with respect to telework is principally in providing space-related support to departments, such as helping them consolidate, relocate, engage in long-range space planning, etc.
Public Reasoning Behind State Auditor 1-Year Assessment
DGS’s response indicates that it will not implement the recommendation because the issue of telework is outside of DGS’ expertise. However, DGS developed the statewide telework policy in 2021 and existing state law makes DGS responsible for establishing a unit for the purpose of overseeing telework programs and directs DGS to establish criteria for evaluating the state’s telework program and recommend modifications, if necessary. We continue to recommend that DGS follow state law by providing guidance for departments to follow when evaluating their telework programs.
