TRENTON, N.J. — Jack Ciattarelli, the Republican candidate for New Jersey governor, has pledged to end remote work for state employees on his first day in office if elected, arguing that current policies have hindered government efficiency.
“That’s why you can’t get anyone on the phone,” Ciattarelli told supporters at a campaign event in Freehold on Thursday. “Under Phil Murphy, state workers have been allowed to stay home, and it’s left New Jerseyans frustrated and underserved. Day one, that changes—I’ll bring them back to the office where they belong.”
Ciattarelli, a former state assemblyman making his third bid for governor, is making workforce policies a key issue in his campaign. His stance contrasts with Governor Phil Murphy’s approach, which has allowed many state employees to continue hybrid or remote work since the COVID-19 pandemic. Murphy has defended the policy as a modernization effort and a way to retain talent, but Ciattarelli argues it has led to unresponsive agencies and inaccessible state services.
Four years after the pandemic, tens of thousands of state workers remain remote, even as most private sector employees have returned to in-person work. Critics claim that state offices feel like “ghost towns,” with residents struggling to get assistance due to unanswered phones and delayed callbacks.
Ciattarelli’s push to end remote work aligns with his broader campaign message of restoring accountability and efficiency in state government as he seeks to challenge Murphy’s legacy in the 2025 election.