1
00:00:20,053 --> 00:00:21,989
Some state lawmakers
want to force state

2
00:00:22,055 --> 00:00:25,125
employees to work in
state office buildings.

3
00:00:25,192 --> 00:00:26,426
But where should they
all go?

4
00:00:26,493 --> 00:00:27,794
In legislation
passed by the State

5
00:00:27,861 --> 00:00:30,230
Assembly, state employees
may be required

6
00:00:30,297 --> 00:00:32,366
to return
to working in the office.

7
00:00:32,432 --> 00:00:33,767
I'm Steven Potter,
a reporter

8
00:00:33,834 --> 00:00:35,235
with PBS Wisconsin News.

9
00:00:35,302 --> 00:00:36,203
The details of this

10
00:00:36,270 --> 00:00:37,604
so-called “Return
to Work” bill

11
00:00:37,671 --> 00:00:38,539
are that

12
00:00:38,605 --> 00:00:39,606
if a state employee
was stationed

13
00:00:39,673 --> 00:00:42,442
in an office prior
to the Covid pandemic,

14
00:00:42,509 --> 00:00:43,911
their remote or work

15
00:00:43,977 --> 00:00:45,679
from home
arrangements would end

16
00:00:45,746 --> 00:00:47,681
and they would be sent
back to work in an office

17
00:00:47,748 --> 00:00:49,550
at least 80% of the time.

18
00:00:49,616 --> 00:00:50,450
The bill's

19
00:00:50,517 --> 00:00:51,518
author
says that some employees

20
00:00:51,585 --> 00:00:52,419
may be eligible

21
00:00:52,486 --> 00:00:54,054
for remote work
in the future,

22
00:00:54,121 --> 00:00:56,089
but that should be
decided individually

23
00:00:56,156 --> 00:00:58,258
and be based on worker
productivity.

24
00:00:58,325 --> 00:00:59,860
A major concern
for ending remote work

25
00:00:59,927 --> 00:01:02,062
for state employees
is finding office space.

26
00:01:02,129 --> 00:01:03,397
Since the pandemic began,

27
00:01:03,463 --> 00:01:05,132
many state
agencies have scaled back

28
00:01:05,199 --> 00:01:07,134
their need
for physical office space

29
00:01:07,201 --> 00:01:08,302
and some state buildings

30
00:01:08,368 --> 00:01:10,103
are even being put up
for sale.

31
00:01:10,170 --> 00:01:11,605
Wisconsin's
largest state agency,

32
00:01:11,672 --> 00:01:13,140
the Department
of Administration, says

33
00:01:13,207 --> 00:01:14,107
that as much as

34
00:01:14,174 --> 00:01:16,977
75% of their staff work
remotely,

35
00:01:17,044 --> 00:01:18,445
and renting new office
space

36
00:01:18,512 --> 00:01:21,215
may cost as much as $12
million per year.

37
00:01:21,281 --> 00:01:22,883
While this bill already
passed the Assembly,

38
00:01:22,950 --> 00:01:24,585
it's still up for debate
in the State Senate,

39
00:01:24,651 --> 00:01:27,187
which isn't back
in session until October.

40
00:01:27,254 --> 00:01:28,655
If it passes the Senate,

41
00:01:28,722 --> 00:01:29,690
then it's up
to the governor

42
00:01:29,756 --> 00:01:31,625
whether or not
to sign it into law.

43
00:01:31,692 --> 00:01:32,459
For more on this,

44
00:01:32,526 --> 00:01:33,393
and to find out
what's next

45
00:01:33,460 --> 00:01:34,494
for this legislation,

46
00:01:34,561 --> 00:01:38,699
find my story about
it at pbswisconsin.org.