1. United States
2. Calif.
3. Letter

Stop mandating in-office attendance and support flexible hybrid work policies instead. Blanket return-to-office orders ignore what the evidence already shows: hybrid work saves money, retains talent, and does not harm productivity. Research consistently finds that flexible arrangements reduce overhead costs, lower turnover, and maintain or improve output. Punishing workers who have proven they can perform their jobs remotely is not leadership — it's a policy built on assumption, not data. Workers are already stretched thin by rising costs of living. Forcing a longer commute back into the equation adds real financial and personal strain — gas, childcare, transit, time. If the goal is a connected, engaged workforce, there are better tools than mandates. Incentivize office attendance. Fund team-building events. Create reasons people want to show up. Behavior changes when people choose it, not when they're coerced into it. Sustainable workplaces are built on trust and flexibility, not compliance and punishment. Legislation that requires agencies to justify in-office mandates and demonstrate taxpayer value — like bills that mandate telework transparency dashboards — moves us in the right direction. Please support policies that treat workers as capable adults, protect hybrid options, and reject one-size-fits-all mandates that belong in a different era.