City Employees Union DC 37 Extends Hybrid Work Programs for Another Year

The largest union for New York City employees is doubling down on hybrid work as it finds two days a week at home to be a viable — and attractive — option for its workers.

District Council 37 and Mayor Eric Adams announced a one-year extension for city employees’ hybrid work program, which began June 1, 2023, after a recommendation from the union’s “work flexibility committee,” which sought to improve employee morale while encouraging retention and recruitment to administrative roles.

The program, which is expected to expire May 31, 2026, also includes a compressed work schedule for employees unable to work from home but reduces hours without negatively impacting city services, according to the city.

“Our members have continued carrying out their service to the public with efficiency while benefiting from the flexibility of hybrid and compressed work,” DC 37 Executive Director Henry Garrido said in a statement. “It’s clear that alternative work schedules help with issues of retention and recruitment and allow the City of New York to be a workplace of choice.”

The decision comes despite office space in Manhattan continuing to fill up as CEOs and the federal government bring more employees back to work five days per week.

Between January and February, the amount of office space that came off the market decreased by 100,000 square feet and total leasing year-to-date hit 4 million square feet, with 61 percent of that momentum taking place in Midtown, according to figures provided by JLL (JLL).

DC 37 represents more than 150,000 city workers, including staffers at the New York City Department of Buildings and the New York City Department of Social Services. When Adams took office, he repeatedly criticized working from home, saying employees “can’t stay at home in your pajamas all day.” Adams later softened his stance as part of budget negotiations with DC 37 and started the pilot program.

“As we continue to settle into our post-pandemic reality, we must ensure that we continue to make city employment an attractive and accessible option for the working-class New Yorkers who serve and run this city every day,” Adams said in a statement.

DC 37’s offices are in Tribeca at 125 Barclay Street, where the union recently moved back after five years at 55 Water Street, a temporary workspace spanning 130,449 square feet. The union returned to 125 Barclay, which it owns, after renovations were completed in May 2024.

Mark Hallum can be reached at mhallum@commercialobserver.com.