Little Rock, Arkansas – Governor Sarah Huckabee Sanders announced a series of major policy changes for all executive branch employees as part of her broader Arkansas Forward initiative. The Governor’s new directives aim to modernize government operations by focusing on in-person collaboration, expanded office hours, and family-friendly flexibility, including the statewide rollout of the Infant at Work policy.
The Governor’s announcement comes after months of internal evaluations under the Arkansas Forward effort, which previously introduced a new state employee pay plan and helped identify over $300 million in cost savings and avoidance across state government. Governor Sanders emphasized that these latest reforms are intended to move state agencies away from policies put in place during the pandemic.
“Over the past two-and-a-half years, my administration has worked hard to build a state government that serves our citizens efficiently while saving taxpayer dollars,” Sanders wrote in a letter sent directly to state employees. “Today, we are announcing the newest initiative from Arkansas Forward: revised work policies for all state agencies.”
End of Routine Remote Work and Standardized Office Hours
Effective October 1, 2025, the regular use of remote work will no longer be allowed across Arkansas’s executive branch agencies. The Governor explained that while remote tools remain useful during emergencies, they should not replace in-person cooperation…