Plans are best arranged for full-time back to the office still plagued by Covid-19 case rates and a workforce reluctant to return to their tracks, according to data released this week by Partnership for New York Citya business advocacy group.
Just 8% of office workers in Manhattan return to the office five days a week, and 28% remain completely remote, according to a new survey by the group of more than 160 major New York-based employers. On average weekdays, 38% of office workers in Manhattan work in offices, a number that employers predict will increase to 49% by September. In the group January survey, many employers said they think daily attendance will exceed 50 percent by April.
The most important finding of the new survey, according to the partner’s president, Kathryn Wylde, is that 78% of workplaces have adopted a hybrid model, allowing for a mix of in-person and remote working. That’s a huge jump from the pre-pandemic 6%.
“It was a complete change. It was quite revolutionary,” Ms. Wylde said. “Recruiters have come to stone and scream for the position. They are not nervous. They think being in the office is how people learn.”
Many companies are finding that their push to get workers back into their offices is causing summer restlessness: 30% of those surveyed are providing extra flexibility for the coming months, like Summer Friday or the option to work completely remotely in August. And then there are those trying to make the office more appealing. Nearly two-thirds encourage workers to return to the office, including 43 percent offering free or reduced-price meals.
