by Alex Lloyd Gross
When Covid 19 hit, non essential city workers found themselves working from home. At first some hated it, then they began to like it. No manager hanging over their desk, no fuel costs or transit fares paid to get to work. It was all done via the computer and a phone.
Now it is ending. Effective July 15, 2024, “In alignment with my Administration’s goals of creating a more visible and accessible government, I have notified all City workers that they will be transitioning to full-time, in-office work effective July 15, 2024. All City employees are to default to full-time in-office or on-site work.”, Mayor Cherlle Parker said.
Alex Lloyd Gross Delaware Valley News.com File Photo Philadelphia City Hall
About 20 percent of the city workforce is on a hybrid schedule which allows them to work from home at least some of the time.
The basics of our Return to Office Policy:
- Establishes generally that all work is to be done “on-site,”
- Sunsets the Virtual Work Policy of 6/11/2021,
- Establishes that the appointing authority has discretion to permit occasional remote work to address periodic life circumstances.
As we plan for and move toward the return to full-time in-office presence for the City’s workforce, it is important we do so centering employee health and safety, operational efficiency and functional workspaces. Supervisors and department heads are identifying and securing office space, equipment, furniture and environmental compliance supports to prepare for employees’ return.
That means an employee can work from home on occasion like possibly recovering from a medical procedure or other hardship.
Center city businesses that depend on people actually going into the office applaud this. places to eat, and some center city stores can see an uptick in business as those workers eat in center city or run to a store on their lunch break to do a quick errand.