While labor unions have opposed the new policy, Walz has argued it still allows for flexibility and hopes it will strengthen workplace culture. The state’s workforce of some 40,000, not including those employed by colleges and universities, makes it the second-largest employer in Minnesota behind the Mayo Clinic.
The return to office push won’t fundamentally change the state’s implementation of that plan, said Wayne Waslaski, an assistant commissioner at the Minnesota Department of Administration. Many employees will still work remotely half the time, reducing space needs from pre-pandemic levels.
“From a space standpoint, we’ll still be in a smaller footprint even after accommodating for the updated telework policy,” Waslaski said.
Wayne Waslask shows off a conference room, which will be used for a new hybrid work schedule, at the State Administration Building. Waslask is the state's Assistant Commissioner of Property and Risk Services. (Richard Tsong-Taatarii/The Minnesota Star Tribune)
Key to that strategy is the state’s embrace of shared workstations. At the Administration Building on the State Capitol campus in St. Paul, teams will work on-site together on the same days. Cubicles are smaller than they used to be — just 6 by 8 feet — and are to be cleaned and empty at the end of each day. Photos, spare ties and other personal effects are to be stored in nearby locker rooms.
Even the entire senior leadership team at the Department of Administration gave up their offices in favor of shared spaces, Waslaski said.