COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Governor Mike DeWine of Ohio, a Republican, has made a decisive move by instructing all state employees to resume full-time, in-office work starting next month. Through an executive order issued on Tuesday, DeWine mandated that all permanent employees of state agencies, boards, and commissions must revert to a traditional five-day work week in the office by no later than March 17. The governor emphasized that this decision is crucial in ensuring the optimal service delivery to the public and maximizing the utilization of the state’s remaining office spaces, citing the best interests of Ohio citizens as the driving force behind this directive.
The specified return date set by Governor DeWine coincidentally falls almost five years from the day the state declared a state of emergency in response to the COVID-19 pandemic back on March 9, 2020. At that time, certain employees were permitted to work remotely. Following the lifting of the emergency in June 2021, many employees gradually transitioned to full-time or hybrid office arrangements. However, Tuesday’s executive order now necessitates the return of nearly all employees to their physical workspaces. Exceptions may be granted by state agencies in cases where their real estate holdings have significantly decreased, stemming from lease terminations and space reallocations that were a result of the pandemic, resulting in substantial savings for Ohio taxpayers.
The official document outlines that a significant portion of Ohio’s state employees never engaged in remote work, primarily due to the nature of their roles in state hospitals, correctional facilities, law enforcement agencies, or other positions demanding a physical presence. Governor DeWine’s decisive mandate aligns with similar initiatives taken by some prominent employers in Columbus, such as American Electric Power and JPMorgan Chase, who have also set forth plans for a return to traditional five-day work weeks in March. Additionally, President Donald Trump, a Republican, has instructed federal workers to resume full-time office work, as part of a series of unprecedented measures aimed at streamlining the operations of the federal government.
