Senior Philadelphia municipal officials are expected to return to the office on Monday, at the request of Mayor Cherelle Parker, ending a work from home practice that began during the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a memo obtained by NBC10 last month, the mayor said she made the decision to sustain "a framework of collaboration and efficiency and delivering on my promise of a more visible and accessible workforce."
"This decision was made with several factors in mind, including sustaining a framework of collaboration and efficiency and delivering on my promise of a more visible and accessible workforce. I recognize that working from home offers a flexibility that may better facilitate balancing professional and personal responsibilities and commitments, however, I feel strongly that a more consistent in-office presence will result in better communication, professional boundaries and work environments where Equal Employment Opportunity and Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are truly realized," the memo released Feb. 23 read. "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."
The decision could be challenged, however, as David Wilson, president of the AFSCME District Council 47, Local 2187, -- the union representing professional, technical and administrative employees, many of whom work for the city -- told NBC10 that a change from hybrid work to mandatory in-office would need to be bargained.
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“And so to really bring folks back to the archaic five days a week onsite dynamic has a significant impact on my members and really has them concerned about how they’re going to sort of make sense of the new norm if that happens," Wilson said.
He also said his union is prepared to take action if the Parker administration refuses to bargain.
So far, the push only requires senior officials -- members of her cabinet, commissioners, directors and others -- to return to the office five-days a week.
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In her memo, Parker said, department heads will soon receive instructions for a return to office plan for the rest of the city's workforce.
However, she did not specify a timeline for a return to office for workers other than senior officials.
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