Work life has continued to see drastic changes since pre-pandemic times, as more and more workers continue to operate remotely for part of the work week, if not all.
Back in 2021, Mayor Adams made a push to bring workers back to the office, however, the Omnicron variant that surged throughout December and the beginning of the New Year had derailed such an effort.
As of February 2022, “office vacancy rates [were] at 20 percent, a 40-year high,” shared Mayor Adams. This was a direct result of remote work. “Return-to-office progress peaked at over 35 percent in early December, [then] crashed dramatically to just over 10 percent by January, and still has not recovered.”
A new survey shows that only 35% of workers have returned to their offices full time, as first reported by NBC. This number is expected to jump to 50% by the end of March. And though Mayor Adams tried once more to urge workers back into the office at February’s Democratic Committee’s Nominating Convention, it looks like both Mayor Adams and Governor Hochul are taking a new approach with encouraging New Yorkers back to the office.
“It may never be a 5-day week again” said Governor Hochul. “It may be 4 days with flexibility. It may be 3 1/2 days in person.” Mayor Adams echoed that sentiment in a conference last Thursday stating work in a post-COVID New York “may include a 4-day week.”
More cities are contemplating the switch to a shorter work week as well, with a new pilot program launching this June for a 4-day work week in London.
Nothing is for sure yet, but New Yorkers can continue to keep their fingers crossed for the end of a 5-day work week in this ‘new era of working’ post-pandemic.