State employees get reprieve from Nebraska Gov. Pillen’s return-to-office order

• Nebraska employees have been given a temporary reprieve from Republican Gov. Jim Pillen's order ending remote work.
• The Nebraska Labor Relations Board suspended the order, deeming remote work the status quo in the state. Furthermore, the NIRC determined that changes to the status quo must be implemented through negotiation.
• “As public servants, we have an obligation to live up to those expectations and provide maximum value to taxpayers,” Pillen said, adding that Nebraskans expect the bureaucracy to be staffed full-time. He pointed out that

State officials are getting a reprieve from Nebraska Gov. Jim Pillen's order to end remote work and return to offices after state officials temporarily blocked the order.

State employees were scheduled to return to work on Tuesday after Pillen issued the unilateral order in November. But on Friday, the Nebraska Labor Relations Board, which acts as an arbitration body to resolve disputes over public sector pay and working conditions, ruled that remote work is the status quo for public employees and no future changes will be allowed. He granted a temporary suspension of the order. The current situation must be resolved through negotiation.

Pillen noted in his order that state employees are only working remotely during the COVID-19 pandemic to help reduce the spread of the potentially deadly virus.

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“Nebraskas are back to work, and our agencies are fully staffed and open Monday through Friday, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.,” Pillen said in a statement when he issued the order. I hope that it will.” “As public servants, we have an obligation to meet those expectations and provide maximum value to taxpayers.”

But the state employee union, the Nebraska Public Employees Association, rejected the order and filed a complaint with the Industrial Relations Commission. The governor's order will exacerbate staffing shortages and limit state agencies' ability to retain and attract high-quality public servants, he said.

The union conducted a survey of its members in response to Mr. Pillen's order, and of the 1,700 people who responded, more than 1,000 said they were actively looking for, or considering looking for, a new job. I answered that I was.

“If we are unable to negotiate mutually beneficial employment terms regarding remote work, a significant number of state employees may leave state employment,” Justin Hubley, executive director of the employee union, wrote in the letter. It's clear from the data.” Argued for the Governor's Order or in favor of the Governor's Order with the Nebraska Attorney General's Office. “This will harm all of us, especially the most vulnerable Nebraskans who rely on critical state services.”

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Pillen's office did not immediately respond to messages seeking comment Tuesday.