Earlier this month, Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a new policy aimed at propelling the return of state employees to in-person work.
On May 5, the governor’s office outlined the timetable for a two-month transition period, beginning with an updated Standard Telework Agreement from the Virginia Department of Human Resource Management. Employees had two weeks to review the document, with a recommended May 20 deadline for submitting any remote requests.
Applications then were to enter layers of review, ranging from agency heads for one-day agreements, all the way up to the governor’s chief of staff for any arrangement of more than two days. By June 3, all accommodations would be considered, leading to a July 5 target date for returning to the office.
For employees who saw reason to maintain full workplace flexibility, Youngkin’s announcement produced some natural anxiety. And while the focus is on where state employees will accomplish their work, another factor is not receiving enough attention. As state telework policy evolves, security matters more than setting.
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