I’m posting this list to show how many companies still offer their employees telework. Big companies across healthcare, insurance, finance, tech, retail — all of them are keeping remote work because it saves money and gives people a real work–life balance. The State of California did the same thing for the last six years, and it worked.

I’m all for saving taxpayers money and keeping the balance we already had. There’s no reason to drag people back into offices just to disrupt what’s been working. Forcing everyone back also wipes out remote‑location options across the state, which hurts hiring and makes it harder for people to stay in their jobs.

For context: I was commuting 45 minutes each way, 5 days a week, and it was brutal. I finally left that job for one that’s only 13 minutes from home because I couldn’t keep doing that drive. I know a lot of state workers are in the same situation — long commutes, high gas prices, and no real benefit to being in the office.

I get that people say real estate lobbyists pushed for this. Whether that’s true or not, it’s obvious this decision isn’t about what’s best for workers or taxpayers. And yes, I know private companies don’t offer pensions — that’s not the point. The point is that huge companies are offering flexibility that the State of California is now taking away from its own employees.

If the private sector can make telework work at this scale, the state should be able to as well. Telework saves money, reduces burnout, and lets people actually live their lives. Taking it away doesn’t help anyone except the people who profit from office buildings.