CDF Attorneys Ashley Halberda and Alessandra Whipple Author Orange County Business Journal Article on Return-to-Office Mandates

CDF Labor Law LLP Orange County Office Co-Managing Partner Ashley A. Halberda and Partner Alessandra C. Whipple recently authored an article for the Orange County Business Journal’s General Counsel Awards section titled “From Zoom to Conference Room: California’s New Era of Office Mandates.”

In the piece, the authors explore the return-to-office momentum in California and share practical guidance for employers implementing (and enforcing) in-office expectations—while staying mindful of consistency, accommodations, and wage-hour/classification considerations.

Excerpt:
“This transition is not just about logistics—it’s about striking a balance between effective return-to-office policies, enforcement of those policies, and incentivizing employees to return.”

Key topics highlighted include:

• Employers’ ability to require in-office attendance—and why consistent enforcement matters
• The importance of clear, written expectations (policies, handbooks, consequences, and communications)
• Strategies for encouraging buy-in beyond mandates, including culture and workplace incentives
• When remote work may be a reasonable accommodation and the role of documentation and the interactive process
• Classification and wage-hour issues that can shift with a return to in-office work