Dozens of King County workers protest return-to-office mandate in downtown Seattle

Roughly 75 King County workers packed themselves into the lobby of the county’s downtown Seattle office building Tuesday to protest a return-to-office mandate.

The mandate, which would require county employees to be in-office three days a week, was first introduced more than a year ago, but was never fully enforced. In January, King County Executive Girmay Zahilay announced he would impose this mandate once departments had fully developed return-to-office plans.

The protest was organized by the PROTEC17 union. Union leaders said employees have worked remotely for years without issues and that the mandate lacks clear reasoning.

“We’ve been working from home for the last five years-plus, and there weren’t any issues with that,” Youssef El Hamawi, a PROTEC17 union representative, told The Seattle Times.

The signs employees held at the rally ranged from “Communities not cubicles” to “Desks don’t serve the community, WE DO!” to “If remote work works stop trying to fix it.”

The county has approximately 18,000 employees in total, of whom 2,500 are represented by PROTEC17.

Zahilay looks to begin enforcing return-to-office mandate for county employees

Zahilay, who was sworn in as King County Executive in November 2025, has mandated that county employees work in person at least three days a week, which will soon become a requirement.

While no concrete date was specified, executive office employees are expected to be the first to follow the mandate once plans are finalized.

According to Karissa Braxton, a spokesperson for the King County Executive’s Office, departments have been developing return-to-office implementation plans, with spring 2026 as a loose goal for their completion.

According to Zahilay, nearly three-quarters of the county’s employees have been working in person. But, according to a 2024 county audit The Seattle Times obtained, just one-quarter of desks at the county’s two main downtown office buildings were occupied on any given day.

Last year, King County Councilmember Reagan Dunn proposed legislation that would require most county employees to work in the office at least three days a week, emphasizing the need for a return-to-office arrangement.

“It is long overdue that King County follow through on its commitment to return to in-person work,” Dunn said. “Returning to in-person work will not only improve services to residents, it will also ensure the public’s right to see their government at work and what their taxes are, or are not, paying for.”

The legislation did not advance, but the mandate is expected to be more closely enforced under newly elected King County Executive Girmay Zahilay.

“The King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, which is separately elected, already has a three-day in-person work requirement for prosecutors and leadership,” Casey McNerthney, spokesperson for the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office, stated. “Leesa Manion’s office was the first King County office with a three-day per week in-person policy starting in January 2025, with new prosecutors required in person four days each week.”

Follow Frank Sumrall on X. Send news tips here.