OHIO — Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine signed an executive order Tuesday that mandates state employees to return to the office by March 17. 

The order comes after the allowance of some state of Ohio employees to work from home because of the pandemic.

The state declared on March 9, 2020 that employees were allowed to work from home to prevent the spread of COVID-19, however, DeWine stated in the executive order that the nature of those jobs never required workers to stay home prior to the pandemic. 

The state of emergency ended on June 18, 2021, which allowed state employees to return to the office or work on a hybrid basis. DeWine said while the state saved millions by reducing leased real estatement and maximizing state-owned and managed real property, he believes it's in the best interest of the state for employees to make a full return to office to maximize assets. 

The topic of returning to the office has gotten support from companies and the new administration. Recently, President Donald Trump ordered federal workers to be back in person full time by Jan. 20. Additionally, Ohio-based companies AEP and JPMorganChase announced in January they are are requiring all employees to return to work for five days a week. Wendy's, headquartered in Dublin, Ohio, also announced it's working to bring back workers in person four days a week.