On Friday, Republican lawmakers called for layoffs at Wisconsin agencies and criticized remote work policies.
This comes after an audit revealed that state employees spend substantially more time working from home than in their offices.
However, a majority of the agencies surveyed said that remote work had increased their efficiency.
“The audit shows massive waste on expensive unnecessary physical structures,” Republican Sen. Eric Wimberger said in a statement.
Key card data suggested that some state employees may be working in person less often than stipulated by their agreements.
Wimberger said that since agencies say remote work makes them more efficient, he believes staff cuts are in order.
Auditors proposed renting fewer state office spaces if officials don’t require employees to return to in-person work.
In the first six months of 2023, more than 3,000 state employees at four major headquarters buildings in Madison used their key cards to access the buildings an average of 1.3 times a week.
Auditors reported that on average less than a third of work stations were in use at the University of Wisconsin System.
