San Francisco city workers ordered to return to office

Employees in San Francisco are now required to return to the office at least four days a week after the mandate was announced in February by Mayor Daniel Lurie, starting April 28, as reported by SFGATE.

The move is viewed as necessary to strengthen operations, support the city’s mission of public service, enhance city services and revitalize downtown, with the Department of Human Resources overseeing the transition.

Further, increased in-office presence is seen as essential for improving communication, collaboration, and employee engagement, while also helping new hires integrate smoothly into city departments. 

Around 10,000 office-based employees are currently on hybrid schedules and will be impacted by the order, while the remaining 24,000 city workers already work full-time in the office, including those in public safety, healthcare, and transportation.

Exceptions are made for employees with disabilities who have approved accommodations and those covered by the city’s Family Friendly Workplace Ordinance, which permits remote work in certain caregiving circumstances.

Reactions and Impact of City Workers’ Return to Work:

Beyond city operations, the mandate comes as San Francisco faces challenges in bringing workers back downtown. 

San Francisco was found to be the worst-performing metro in the country for office returns, with a 51.8% drop in office visits compared to pre-pandemic levels—the steepest decline of any major city, according to data from Placer.ai and Kastle Systems. 

The office occupancy rate still lags behind cities like Houston and Chicago. Even on the highest office occupancy day in mid-February, only 49.3% of workers returned to the office.

Some business leaders view the mandate as a positive move, with some expressing hope that private companies with San Francisco headquarters would follow suit, bringing much-needed energy to the neighborhood. 

A restaurant manager in San Francisco’s Financial District reported an uptick in business, particularly as more companies move away from remote work.

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