Oklahoma Supreme Court Upholds Order Bringing State Workers Back to Office

In an 8-1 decision, the Oklahoma Supreme Court has upheld Governor Kevin Stitt’s executive order that requires state employees to return to the office.

The Court’s decision comes in response to Oklahoma State Representative Andy Fugate’s lawsuit, filed in February of this year, claiming that Stitt does not have the authority to oblige all full-time state employees to return to in-office work. Fugate sought to preserve state remote work policies implemented during the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Simply put, the governor doesn’t have that authority. State employees work for the people of Oklahoma. They don’t work for the governor,” Fugate said during a February press briefing. “Making decisions about new employment conditions and authorizing expenditures for facilities and office equipment is the job of the Legislature, not the governor. His order has also caused chaos for state employees, many of whom have begun to rely on remote work.”

Stitt’s initial order was issued in December 2024, giving state employees a Feb. 1, 2025 deadline to return to the office. The mandate allowed exceptions for part-time state employees, employees with irregular hours and agencies facing physical office constraints that would require additional spending to accommodate employees.

“Rep. Fugate spent months trying to stand in the way of common sense,” said Stitt, in a statement. “Taxpayers deserve to know their public servants are back at work, delivering the services they pay for and not hiding behind Zoom calls. Today’s ruling makes it clear that a partisan lawsuit will not stop us from holding state government accountable to Oklahomans.”