“Remote work presents a cost-effective solution to many of our greatest challenges,” Governor Spencer Cox shared. “Even just one day of remote work saves pounds of pollutants from being released to the atmosphere, and the ability of our workforce to quickly adapt during snowstorms and other emergencies allows impressive continuity of service for our customers.”

Agencies were asked to identify employees who are eligible for surge remote work. Those positions may or may not also be eligible for the state’s long-term remote work program, which began as a pilot in 2019. Remote work has been found to increase employee satisfaction, allow rural applicants to apply for jobs traditionally limited to the Wasatch Front, decrease air pollution, and save taxpayer dollars.

“We hope that more Utahns will join us as we take action to keep employees off of dangerous roads and reduce pollutants to keep our communities healthy,” said SB15 sponsor Senator Dan McCay.

“The One Utah Roadmap charges the state to embrace remote work in order to ‘…decrease environmental impact, increase productivity, and create job opportunities for Utahns across the state.’ We are making a prudent, proactive investment in the health of our communities,” Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget Executive Director Sophia DiCaro stated.

To learn more about the State of Utah’s remote work program, please visit gopb.utah.gov. For surge remote work updates, follow @RemoteWorkUtah on Twitter.

Utah led the nation in implementing a remote work pilot program in the spring of 2019. Successes include improved air quality, increased employee productivity, reduced travel costs to the employee, reduced space costs for the state, and expanded opportunity for geographically and otherwise diverse Utahns.

Agencies were in the midst of a staggered rollout of the full remote work program when the pandemic began. Many state agencies quickly transitioned to new ways of doing business without disruptions to customer service.

“Much of the work we do today is no longer bound to a specific location or schedule. In fact, the work we do today benefits from and permits more flexibility than ever before,” GOPB Executive Director Sophia DiCaro shared.

During the COVID-19 pandemic, approximately 8,600 employees participated in remote work. This guidance sets an ambitious target for agencies to finalize long-term remote work agreements with 50 percent of remote work eligible employees by September 1, 2021.

“We led the way on this innovation together—and it worked,” Gov. Spencer Cox writes in an introductory letter. “Thank you for your efforts to support employees, improve services for customers, and increase the efficiency of the work you do. To achieve our One Utah dream, we’re going to need to keep innovating.”

Click here to read the State of Utah Remote Work Guide.

The study contains four key findings suggesting that while, on average, pay differences can be explained by non-demographic factors, there is evidence of gender pay gaps within some agencies and within similar levels of work performed. Additionally, women and minorities are underrepresented in jobs associated with higher levels of pay and decision-making authority.

“State employees demonstrate extraordinary dedication to the taxpayers they serve,” Gov. Cox said. “We are pleased to learn that, on average, state compensation policies provide equal pay for equal work, but we know there is more to be done. We look forward to tackling problems related to equality of opportunity so that every Utahn has a voice in places where decisions are made.”

Accompanying the findings are action items developed by the Department of Human Resource Management (DHRM) in conjunction with the Governor’s Office of Planning and Budget. DHRM field officers will continue to develop additional agency specific responses to ensure the state maintains and improves equity practices.

Click here to access the full study, and here to access a one-page summary of the major findings and associated action items.

“Utah benefits from proactive leadership,” Executive Director Sophia DiCaro shared. “As our state’s population grows more rapidly, the need for enhanced statewide planning coordination grows as well. In addition to a focused effort to streamline government and create efficiencies, the office will seek to offer clarity on long-term strategies that will provide the quality of life we want for future generations.”

To assist this effort, Laura Hanson will join the team as the new State Planning Coordinator on May 10, leading a team of analysts to map priorities for long-term budgeting and financial needs. Hanson brings 22 years of planning experience to the role, most recently having served as the Director of Planning for the Utah Transit Authority where she helped define the vision for public transit along the Wasatch Front.

“Proactive planning leads to cost-effective investments,” Hanson said. “We are eager to work together with entities across the state to integrate principles of good planning into the way we budget, govern, and think about the future long-term.”

Other office priorities include Policy and Economic Analysis, led by Deputy Director and Chief Economist, Nate Talley; Budget and Operations, led by Managing Director of Budget and Operations, Duncan Evans; and Management and Special Projects, led by Director of Operational Efficiencies, Jeff Mottishaw.

GOPB will continue work to improve government efficiency through principles found in the One Utah Roadmap such as reconsidering how to best serve customers, tying budgets to performance measures, and investing in state employees.