Mayor Adams sends stern letter to NYC employees: 'You are required to report to work in person'

Wednesday, June 1, 2022

Mayor sends stern letter to NYC employees: 'Report to work in person'

Mayor Eric Adams' office sent a stern letter to New York City's employees reminding them they must return to work in person.

NEW YORK (WABC) -- Throughout the coronavirus pandemic, work from home has served as a welcome option for many of the 300,000-plus city employees.

"I would love a hybrid schedule. I'd much prefer that. I think it's much more humane. I think it would be much more productive. I think it would save me a ton of dough with commuting costs," municipal worker Bill Gaston said.

But a not-so-subtle reminder arrived Tuesday in the mailbox of every municipal worker and it came from the mayor's chief of staff. It read, in part...

"All city employees should be advised that,absent a reasonable accommodation, you are required to report to work in person for every scheduled workday and hybrid schedules of any kind are not permitted."

Cheryl Lee works as an elder abuse coordinator in the City's Department for the Aging.

"I think he is using us as pawns. You're not looking at the prevalence of covid coming back, being in and out. I just think it is a weird stance to take not considering your workers," Lee said.

For his part, the mayor wants city workers to 'lead by example' by returning to the office full-time.

Meanwhile, at a Wall Street 'power breakfast' Wednesday morning, Adams encouraged business leaders to bring private-sector employees back to the largely empty Manhattan buildings.

A move he calls critical to New York's economic recovery.

"It's time for all of us to be on team New York to get our city back up and operating and it starts with city employees," Adams said.

"We need to see people in the Duane Reade's of the world. We need to see them in the coffee shops and the luncheonettes. And if they're not here, those businesses can't survive," small business owner Leon Adams said.