Among the state management and performance topics that frequently appear in gubernatorial executive orders are ones that directly affect state employees. 

For example, Indiana’s new Governor Mike Braun, the most prolific executive order producer of the fifty states, signed at least four executive orders that affect state employees. This includes one in mid-January in which he ordered state agencies to require “all full time employees to work in the office, facility or field location, assigned by their agency and not from a remote location”. The order goes into affect July 1, with limited exceptions permitted.

Also in January, Governor Braun signed two other orders that affect hiring and state employees generally. These include a consideration and removal of degree requirements for state jobs and a ban of DEI, equity and inclusion, which also includes the closing of the Governor’s Chief Equity, Inclusion and Opportunity Office.  In addition, due to an executive order issued on March 3, Indiana now offers six weeks paid parental leave on the birth or adoption of a child (and eight weeks after a c-section). An executive order signed on April 8 is directed at instituting a variety of management improvements to develop improved information and reduce turnover in the Department of Corrections. 

In our exploration of state executive orders from January 1 through mid-May, 2025, a number of other governors also signed executive orders that affect employees, some overlapping with the ones in Indiana.

Limits to remote work: Since the beginning of the year, at least two other governors besides Gov. Braun have changed laws in order to put some – or extensive – limits on working from home. This includes a March 3 executive order from California that changes telework polices to “a new default expectation” of four in-office days, at a minimum, per week. This new policy will also begin July 1. 

In Ohio, Governor Mike DeWine also signed an order on February 4, that was to go into effect on March 25 that required all permanent employees to “routinely perform their duties in the physical office or facility assigned by their appointing authority and not routinely from a remote location, no later than March 17, 2025.

(An executive order ending remote work was also signed in Oklahoma during the third week of December.)

Employee conduct and ethics: A January 22, 2025 executive order, signed by new Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer puts a strong emphasis on state employees to act in accordance with high honest and ethical conduct and an obligation to report waste, fraud and abuse. Increased attention will also be directed to improving state mechanisms “to respond to and prevent misconduct.” New Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe also signed a January executive order establishing a Code of Conduct for Governor Office employees, including a prohibition on the receipt of gifts from lobbyists or other parties “that may create or imply an obligation or influence on decision-making”.

On April 28, 2025, new South Dakota Gov. Larry Rhoden signed an executive order that creates a reporting, accountability, and training system that is designed to support 2024 South Dakota legislation related to controlling and reporting improper governmental conduct and crime.  The order requires all state employees to submit reports of improper activities to supervisors and supervisors to submit reports to the Attorney General and Auditor General. The Bureau of Human Resources and Administration is to create and implement training for employees and supervisors related to the order.

Bans on DEI: In addition to the executive order that bans state funding of DEI, equity and inclusion in Indiana, similar orders were signed in January by new Gov. Patrick Morrissey in West Virginia and in February by new Gov. Mike Kehoe in Missouri. In each case a ban is ordered on the funding of programs related to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion, based on the idea that these programs work against “equal protection of laws to all persons.”

Other employee-related orders: 

• Delaware Gov. Meyer also signed an order on January 21, promoting the use and expansion of youth apprenticeships, “particularly as it applies to youth apprenticeship prospects within state government.” A working group is established to expand summer employment programs and internships in state agencies; create and expand registered apprenticeship programs and identification of apprenticeship liaison officers and other supports within departments.

• New Hampshire new Gov. Kelly Ayotte signed an executive order on January 22, to ensure that positions that were vacant in state government at that time or were going to become vacant “shall remain vacant unless otherwise explicitly exempted by this Order or granted a waiver to this Order by the Governor. “

• Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt signed an executive order on April 9, requiring all agencies to report on the number of FTE positions and vacancies on December 17, 2024, and the number as of April 9, along with a count of where the full-time employee count has been reduced or left vacant because of the use of independent contractors or outside contracts during the preceding 12 months.

• Pennsylvania’s Gov. Josh Shapiro signed an order on March 5, directing “the Office of Administration to consider relevant Federal Government work experience as equivalent to Commonwealth work experience for the state’s top recruitment needs.”

To see executive orders on multiple topics, our resources section provides a map with links to executive order websites that are easily accessible and kept up-to-date in all but a few states.

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