Eric’s about-face on some city WFH

New York City is considering allowing some city employees to work remotely again, Mayor Adams said Tuesday.

When asked during a news conference about the possibility, Adams said he has already asked city agencies to “come up with creative ways of having flexibility.”

Adams’ commitment to operating “as a team” and accommodating remote work is a drastic shift from a year ago when he decried remote work and famously told New Yorkers: “You can’t stay home in your pajamas all day.”

At the time, Adams claimed remote workers were hurting service-oriented businesses that rely on a steady stream of customers.

“That accountant that’s not in his office space is not going to the cleaners,” Adams said during a speech last February at the state Democratic Committee’s Nominating Convention.

“It’s not going to the restaurant. It’s not allowing the cooks, the waiters, the dishwashers [to make a living],” Adams added.

In being flexible, Adams noted his administration is trying to be fair to city employees and make sure they avoid a “two-tier system where some can work from home and others cannot” and to fill unfilled posts.

“So we want as a team to say, how do I look out for my fellow civil servant to say you have to come in, how do we compensate you in some way? And that is what we need to do,” Adams added.

It’s unclear how much “flexibility” will be offered, in which agencies and when.

Adams’ change on remote work comes amid reports working from home has cost Manhattan at least $12.4 billion a year as workers are spending about $4,661 less per person near their offices.