According to Axios, beginning June 1, thousands of Minnesota state employees will return to in-person work half-time. However, many will find themselves in smaller and tighter office spaces due to prior downsizing efforts. This change follows Governor Tim Walz’s recent mandate, which shifts away from the 2023 strategic plan that assumed a primarily remote workforce.
The earlier plan led state agencies to reduce their office spaces significantly, anticipating that 84% of employees would work remotely most of the time. Consequently, the state aimed to cut space per employee to 175-200 square feet and eliminate 36% of office seats by consolidating staff into state-owned buildings.
With the new in-person requirement, concerns have arisen about insufficient workspace. Megan Dayton, president of the Minnesota Association of Professional Employees (MAPE), criticized the lack of planning for this shift and reported agencies now turning away employees who had previously worked mostly in-office.
The Department of Natural Resources, for example, is downsizing its leased office space despite the return-to-office plan. MAPE is currently in contract negotiations with the state, and while a strike is not imminent, tensions may escalate depending on the outcome.
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