Most Companies Keeping NYC Offices While Adopting a Hybrid Schedule: Survey
However, the majority said vaccinations won’t be a requirement to get back in the office
By Celia Young June 25, 2021 3:28 pm
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Most employers are sticking with their Big Apple offices, even while adopting a new hybrid work schedule, according to a new survey from CoreNet Global NYC.
The survey — which asked 60 companies with large offices in the city about their post-pandemic plans — found that 74 percent of respondents expected the majority of their workforce back in the fall.
Most respondents added that their businesses would operate with a hybrid work-from-home and office-based work schedule, but it isn’t clear exactly how much time will be spent back in the office.
A good chunk of companies, 43 percent, said they were unsure of how many days employees would spend in the office, and 29 percent said they would spend between one and three days there. Only seven percent planned on going fully remote.
“A hybrid workforce is the new normal for corporate occupiers and a thoughtful approach to technology and connectivity is the only way to maintain culture across the workplace experience,” Tommy O’Halloran, CoreNet NYC president, said in a statement. “We are seeing companies embracing this stance, and that decision will keep them future-ready.”
However, companies don’t seem to be taking a page from companies like Morgan Stanley and requiring vaccinations to return to the office. Just over half, or 52 percent, of those who responded to CoreNet’s survey said their firms were not requiring vaccinations, while 12 percent said they were.
Some companies have already called their staff back to work. JPMorgan Chase told U.S. staff to prepare for a July return date on rotational schedules and New York City brought its public workers back in May, despite safety concerns from workers. Google employees were able to head back to the office as early as April.
Yet, estimates about what post-pandemic work life will look like have varied. Another survey from the Partnership for New York City found that only 62 percent of workers would return in September. And workers might not be so eager to return to daily commutes and business casual wear.
A national survey commissioned by Bloomberg found that 39 percent of employees would consider leaving their jobs if their bosses aren’t flexible about working from home. Everyone is wondering what the working world will look like this fall, and CoreNet foresees a higher focus on wellness combined with a return to work.
About 69 percent of respondents said their employers have supported wellness initiatives — like gym reimbursements, unlimited paid time off, video-free Fridays, virtual classes and more mental health oversight.
“It’s also exciting to see our largest corporate employers making wellness a priority,” Neil Austin, CoreNet NYC chair, said in a statement. “They are leading the way forward to normalize wellness for workforces across all sizes of companies.”
