Governor Glenn Youngkin (R-VA) wanted to return to working on-site after more than two years of working off-site caused by the COVID-19 epidemic.
Since then, hundreds of workers in the state of Virginia have quit their jobs at five different state agencies.
More than 300 government workers resigned from their positions since Youngkin announced the new policy on May 5, mandating all state employees resume work in-person full-time by July 5.
According to records obtained by 8News, the number of resignations has increased gradually since Youngkin made the announcement.
More than 300 employees from five state agencies have resigned since Virginia Gov. Glenn Youngkin announced a new telework policy in early May, that would require all state employees to begin working in-person full-time by July 5. https://t.co/a95wWC4Y1L
— Amee Vanderpool (@girlsreallyrule) July 9, 2022
Expected Reaction
Dylan Bishop, a member of the Virginia Governmental Employees Association, stated to WRIC that although it is regrettable, the association is not shocked by the revelation.
They predicted the policy change would result in a departure of workers, which is very troubling because of the state’s difficulties in recruiting new individuals and keeping existing ones.
Bishop noted while financial concerns are the most common reason for leaving the public sector — 31 VDOT staff who quit since May 5 mentioned pay as the reason.
The shift in Virginia’s telework regulation rendered many state employees uncertain about their future.
Since Youngkin’s directive was made public, 8News submitted record queries with just seven of Virginia’s numerous state agencies, of which five confirmed resignations.
The data provided to 8News comes from a few state departments and agencies and only reflects a small fraction of the state’s workforce.
Hundreds of state employees in Virginia have resigned in the weeks since GOP Gov. Glenn Youngkin revised the state's employment policy to require mostly in-person work.https://t.co/uNQ0ZI7rmy
— Real America's Voice (RAV) (@RealAmVoice) July 10, 2022
Youngkin stated, when the new policy was announced, it would strike a balance between the requirements of government services and the requirements of public workers.
In a statement, Rob Damschen, vice director of communications for Governor Youngkin, said the governor is urged by the sustained dedication of the commonwealth’s working population to provide service to Virginians.
Also, he is eager to welcome back the commonwealth’s workforce personally.
They say an environment centered on the office encourages cooperation and teamwork, which results in an even higher level of service being provided to all Virginians.
Telework Options
According to a survey, the Department of Transportation in Virginia experienced the highest loss of personnel, with a total of 183 workers departing the organization.
Of those workers, 28 mentioned the availability of telework possibilities as the reason for their departure.
In a poll conducted by VGAE of 400 state employees one month ago, the results revealed high gas expenses were a worry for 50 of respondents.
In contrast, 25 percent of respondents cited the need for childcare for rejecting the resumption of in-person employment.
Applications to work offsite for a portion of the workweek can be submitted by employees who are employed by the company.
Depending on the number of additional days asked, the requests will either be accepted by the head of an agency, a cabinet secretary, or Jeff Goettman, who is Youngkin’s chief of staff.
