ROANOKE, Va. – Governor Glenn Youngkin is ordering state employees to shut the laptops and return to the office.
The goal is to get workers back as soon as possible but to keep telework when needed.
By March of 2021, 45% of Virginia households had at least one person doing telework because of the coronavirus pandemic, according to the U.S Census Bureau.
Tim Saunders with Virginia Career Works said though telework is used as an incentive to keep employees, he doesn’t know how people will react to the new policy.
Saunders said Roanoke and Lynchburg tend to have more healthcare and manufacturer jobs that don’t provide as many telework positions.
However, friction may build in the workplace when deciding which employees need to return versus who can stay at home.
Saunders said HR managers are already preparing on how to create a balance.
“They want to incentivize people to come to work but at the same time they do have to balance fairness in terms of how the workplace operates,” he said. “It’s a challenge.”
If you have a current telework agreement, you must apply to the new standard telework agreement.
Applications are available now but close on May 20.
The deadline to return to work is July 5.