Latest update on Return to Office executive order

Posted Mar. 13, 2025 by OCSEA

Union Continues Labor/Management Engagement on RTO, Fights to Uphold Contract

March 13, 2025

OCSEA Staff Representatives and chapter leaders continue to be actively engaged with state agencies through labor management meetings to work out policies regarding Return to Office that are fair and do not violate the union contract. If you have yet to receive any directive on RTO, particularly given the EO referenced March 17 deadline, contact your local union leadership or Staff Representative immediately for guidance.

Article 13.17 of the OCSEA Contract on telework/remote and hybrid work deems labor/management an appropriate avenue for pursuing addresses on matters related to RTO. The union agrees that this continues to be the best method for moving forward on this issue.

Throughout these labor/management meetings, the union has maintained its argument that the RTO executive order has resulted in a significant change to the terms and conditions of the employment of our members. "For years, even before the covid pandemic, state employees have been working remotely with dedication and remarkable efficiency. We are determined to fight to uphold our collective bargaining agreement,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe.

While the union is committed to work with agencies as they implement RTO policies, as has been the case to date, the union maintains a hardline that state agencies must adhere to the contract. This includes ensuring that individuals eligible for exemptions or exceptions to the policy should be provided with that benefit.

If labor/management conversations break down, the union will pursue alternative paths, including filing grievances, which it is prepared to do in all impacted agencies. Please note, all grievances, either by chapter leaders or individuals, should be filed through the OCSEA Staff Representative to ensure that the correct grievance process is being followed.

The union’s statewide class-action grievance on RTO, although denied by the State of Ohio in the first step, will continue through the grievance process per the collective bargaining agreement.

Additionally, union leaders at the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services continue to pursue its agency-specific grievance, which is currently at Step 2 in the process. The Union argues that the agency's RTO policy is in violation of the ODJFS agency-specific agreement (Appendix Q) of the collective bargaining agreement because this policy was developed without forming a telework committee with the union.

OCSEA Grievances 101

Not sure, as an individual, whether or not not to file a grievance? Work with your local union leaders to see if the grievance process is right for your issue. Also, if labor/management discussions break down, chapters often to use the collective bargaining agreement (CBA) grievance process to find a resolution to problems.

OCSEA's Grievance Process:

Step 1 – Discussions with immediate supervisor
Step 2 – Discussions with agency head or designee (certain grievances, including layoffs or removals begin immediately at this step)
Alternative Dispute Resolution (ADR) – Process by which the Union and the employer, assisted by a neutral mediator, seek to resolve grievances without resorting to arbitration.
Arbitration - If either party believes that the grievance cannot be successfully mediated, such grievances can be moved from ADR to Arbitration, where a binding decision will be rendered by a third-party arbitrator.

OCSEA continues to stand up for members in Labor/Management meetings

March 6, 2025

OCSEA is fighting to make sure the state follows our collective bargaining agreement following Governor Mike DeWine’s Return to Office executive order. Right now OCSEA staff members are actively engaged with state agencies through labor management meetings to work out policies that treat employees fairly and do not violate our contract. Those policies need to take into account that some agencies no longer have enough office space to accommodate the entire workforce. Buying or leasing more office space would be a waste of tax dollars when our members have proven then can do their jobs effectively through telework.

Union leaders who work at the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) continue to pursue their class action grievance filed in February. The Union argues that the agency's return to office policy is in violation of the ODJFS agency-specific agreement (Appendix Q) of the collective bargaining agreement because this policy was developed without forming a telework committee with the union. The grievance demands that ODJFS cease and desist implementation of any changes to the current teleworking policy and remote work arrangements until the required teleworking committee is assembled and comes to a mutual agreement regarding any changes.

The statewide grievance that OCSEA filed against the Governor’s executive order is still pending. Additional grievances may be filed depending on the results of labor management meetings.

"The benefit of being union is to ensure employees have a seat at the table," said OCSEA Vice President Rocky Jolly. "We are using our union contract to demand a seat at the table on this order and to ensure that the voices of impacted members are being heard."

Union pushes RTO bargaining at the agency level

February 28, 2025

Agency level negotiations on remote work are playing a significant role as committees made up of both union and management representatives begin talks about the recent Executive Order on Return to Office.

Currently OCSEA Staff Representatives and union activists who serve on impacted agency statewide labor/management committees are busy at work reviewing telework polices and meeting with agencies about return to office next steps, exemptions, cost-savings and the impact on employees and continuity of operations. Despite the State denying the union's statewide grievance to bargain as a whole over return to office, the union is filing and/or is preparing to file several grievances on the agency level demanding that those agencies bargain return to office per the OCSEA State contract telework agreement and/or agency-specific agreements on remote work.

Union to hold State's feet to the fire despite its denial to bargain return to office

February 20, 2025

The State of Ohio has denied OCSEA's request to impact bargain the DeWine administration's recent Return to Office Executive Order. But the union says it is committed to holding the State of Ohio and agencies feet to the fire to ensure that the collective bargaining rights of its impacted members are not violated.

The union continues to stand behind its statewide grievance filed last week on behalf of its members that the State failed to negotiate with the union before making changes to telework policy, hence violating the collective bargaining agreement. The statewide grievance also states that the unilateral changes have negatively impacted employees’ working conditions, creating undue hardship without proper discussion or agreement with the Union.

The Union continues to raise concerns about the impact that forced return-to-work could have on families, public employee retention and recruitment, and taxpayers. One clear example is the $15 million per year savings on facilities as the result of remote work, as reported by the Columbus Dispatch several times over the past week.

The Union says agency level negotiations through committees made up of both union and management representatives will likely play a significant role. Currently Staff Representatives and union activists who serve on impacted agency statewide labor/management committees are busy at work making information requests, including for current telework polices, office and reporting locations, and data around productivity and cost-savings.

"Showing the benefits of remote work, for both workers and taxpayers, will be our strongest argument as we push to protect remote work at each agency," said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. "And it will take input from union leaders and members on every level, in every impacted agency, to ensure that we build a strong case with meaningful grievances and mutual agreements," he said.

Union leaders who work at the Ohio Dept. of Job and Family Services (ODJFS) filed a class action grievance this week stating that the agency released a policy without forming a telework committee, a violation of the ODJFS agency-specific agreement under Appendix Q of the union contract. The grievance demands that ODJFS cease and desist implementation of any changes to the current teleworking policy and remote work arrangements until the required teleworking committee is assembled and comes to a mutual agreement regarding any changes.

"As an Ohio taxpayer, I am frustrated that the state, after saving substantial funds for years through remote work, is now planning to shift resources to cover the unnecessary costs of returning employees to physical offices. This decision not only negatively impacts me and my family but also hurts Ohioans as a whole" said OCSEA member Jody Susman, an impacted ODJFS Unemployment Examiner 2 who lives in Ashtabula County. "The data will clearly show that productivity has increased, time away from work has decreased, and overall performance has improved with remote work," she said.

Impacted OCSEA members are encouraged to tell their remote work stories and how an abrupt return to office could cause upheaval to their lives, to their customers and to their local communities. Members can tell their stories HERE.

Union files statewide grievance on Governor's return-to-office executive order, demands to do impact bargaining

February 13, 2025

OCSEA continues to pursue all options to support members who will be impacted by Gov. DeWine's Executive Order on return to office for state employees. As a result, OCSEA has filed a statewide grievance on behalf of impacted members. The union grievance calls on the State of Ohio to rescind the unilaterally implemented telework policy changes and restore the previous telework policy until proper negotiations with the Union are completed.

The grievance states that the State of Ohio (employer) has violated Article 13.17 of the OCSEA collective bargaining agreement by unilaterally implementing changes to the telework policy without bargaining with the Union. The CBA recognizes telework as a negotiable issue, meaning management does not have the unilateral authority to eliminate or modify telework without engaging in collective bargaining with the Union. By failing to negotiate, the Employer has disregarded its contractual obligations and undermined the collective bargaining process.

OCSEA has also filed a "Demand to Impact Bargain" and information requests concerning the Governor’s stated goal to return state workers to the office. The Union will be issuing similar requests for information to all affected agencies directly. Union teams in every agency are working diligently to collect agency-specific return-to-office plans and policies and gather all information that could assist with impact bargaining. Impact bargaining takes place to negotiate the effects of changes to the management-union relationship, particularly mid-contract.

The statewide grievance also states that the unilateral changes have negatively impacted employees’ working conditions, creating undue hardship without proper discussion or agreement with the Union. The Union continues to raise concerns about the serious impact that forced return-to-office could have on families, public employee retention and recruitment, taxpayer dollars and the overall economy.

“There’s no question that ordering our members back to the office will cost taxpayers more money because the state doesn’t have enough office space,” said OCSEA President Chris Mabe. That point was made abundantly clear this week when ODJFS managers wrote staff that there’s currently not enough space to house its employees in offices five days a week. “Why waste tax dollars on buying buildings and signing leases when our members have proven they can do their jobs, and do them well, through telework,” President Mabe said.

If you have information related to telework, please contact your Staff Representative. You can get their contact information by emailing MRC@ocsea.org.

Member spotlight: Forced return-to-office's impact on dedicated workers, families

“I love my job. I really like the work I do, and the people I work with, but my job has to fit with my life,” said OCSEA Chapter 2528 activist Katharine Schleich, an Environmental Specialist 2 with the Ohio EPA. She is concerned that a lack of flexibility with the elimination of remote work for state workers will seriously impact recruitment and retention across the board and will only hurt working families.

Katharine has worked in the Ohio EPA’s Division of Environmental Response and Revitalization for just over 3 years and has only known hybrid work. She currently works in downtown Columbus two days a week and from her home office three days a week. She moved back home to Ohio from Illinois to be closer to family. Her former job in the state of Illinois was fully remote.

Katharine says one of her biggest concerns is the lack of flexibility that makes sure that her customers’ needs are met while also focusing on herself and her family. “For example, if I have a doctor’s appointment, and I’m working downtown, I might have to take the whole day off. That impacts time and work I could be setting aside for my customers,” said Katharine. “With more remote options and flexibility, I could easily get back to serving my customers so much quicker,” she says.

Katharine Schleich, Chapter 2528 Secretary and an Environmental Specialist 2 with the Ohio EPA.

Katharine is a geologist by trade who loves the work she does to protect Ohio from hazardous waste.

Katharine says that on her hybrid days, where she commutes to downtown Columbus, she has chosen to take the city bus because parking, if available at all, is “outrageously expensive” or has a waitlist. She says, even if she drove her car, the commitment to her workday would be 10 plus hours a day. She says inflated parking prices, especially in bigger cities, only adds to the burden.

Without flexibility, Ohio is going to lose a lot of good people, says Katharine.

A recent article in the Columbus Free Press, Mandated Office Comeback Will Crash Ohio State Workforce, reiterates this point.

“DeWine’s decree reverses years of incremental progress,” writes the author and remote work expert Dr. Gleb Tsipursky. “These flexible work options allowed employees to balance professional and personal responsibilities more effectively, leading to increased job satisfaction and higher productivity...A forced return to full-time in-person work will erode employee morale, precipitate a wave of resignations, and ultimately undermine the efficiency gains the policy aims to secure,” said Dr. Tsiprsky.

Katharine agrees that having flexibility is key to balance in her life. “My husband and I want to start a family, but now we have to factor in so many elements that will make starting a family even harder,” says Katharine. The thought of spending so much additional time away from her family is a depleting thought, she says.

Katharine is a geologist by trade. She works to monitor and track the management and disposal of hazardous waste removal under the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA). She is just one of many thousands of Ohio civil servants who have dedicated their careers to making sure Ohio is the very best. It is a dedication to public service and the betterment of all citizens that drive OCSEA members like Katharine.

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