Arkansas Republican Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders is rolling out workplace reforms for state employees, including implementing a new Infant at Work policy and ceasing future remote work, The Daily Wire has exclusively learned.
The new policy for parents of newborn babies is part of her Arkansas Forward initiative and will allow parents to bring their infants, from four weeks to six months old, into the workplace with supervisor approval. The program was initially piloted in the Governor’s Office and the Department of Human Services, but will now be expanded statewide. Sanders says it gives working families greater flexibility during a child’s earliest months of life.
“As a working mom, I know how important a child’s earliest months are for bonding and education,” Sanders said in a letter that was sent to state employees. “Working moms and dads are a critical component of our workforce, and I want to make sure we provide additional options for families to have flexibility and not have to choose between staying home with their infant or returning to work.”
In addition to the expanded Infant at Work program, Sanders announced another policy change. Starting October 1, Arkansas will end the regular use of remote work in state agencies plus will extend office hours to 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., encourage in-person meetings over virtual ones, and implement standardized flexible and alternative schedules.
“State employees serve our citizens best when they collaborate in person,” the governor wrote in the letter.
Sanders described these changes as part of a broader effort to leave behind “inefficient policies” that had become standard during the pandemic.
“Five years ago, COVID-19 changed workplaces in Arkansas and around the world. But the pandemic is in the rearview mirror,” she wrote in the letter. “It’s time to leave the inefficient policies implemented five years ago in the past, too.”
The Arkansas Forward program has identified at least $300 million in cost savings while raising salaries for two-thirds of state employees to bring them closer in line with the private sector, Sanders shared. With these new reforms, the governor wrote, the state is attempting to create a more efficient government that doesn’t force families to choose between work and parenthood.
“We all entered public service because we care about the people of this state. I know all of you work hard to deliver for our citizens – but that doesn’t mean we can’t look for ways to improve our best practices. With these new policies, we’ll be able to build the responsive, efficient government our people want and deserve,” the letter from Sanders concluded.