Push to get SF workers back in the office
SF City and business leaders hope that getting city workers back in the office will improve city services, boost the economy and encourage the private sector to follow suit.
SAN FRANCISCO – San Francisco businesses are counting down the days until virtually all San Francisco city workers will be back to work in their offices at the end of April. Business leaders and politicians hope this will also push the private sector to make a final effort to get as many employees back in the office as well.
Businesses are hoping for a proverbial one-two shot in the arm, city workers back on the job, with the hopes that more will follow. The owners of Gyro King, just a block and a half from San Francisco’s City Hall, say they remember before the pandemic when the lunch hour was standing room only.
“More workers are working at home, not like it used to be,” said Dennis Yilmaz from Gyro King.” It used to be all the offices are full at lunchtime we have a line. But, not anymore. We want those days to come back.”
Since the pandemic, the owners say it’s been slowly returning to that level of pre-pandemic business.
Mayor Daniel Lurie stopped by the restaurant advocating his plan for city workers to return to office.
Already, the mayor says, about 70% of city workers are back.
He’s set an April 28th deadline to get as many of the remaining workers back in person as possible. Mayor Lurie stressed the primary reason is to make sure that city services are operating as smoothly as possible. But, he acknowledged that getting 10,000 more workers back in the office could have a broader impact.
“We want those city workers riding Muni, riding BART, populating Civic Center, helping these small businesses in and around this community,” said Mayor Lurie. “It’s important to lead by example and that’s what we’re doing at City Hall.”
Yilmaz from Gyro King said those workers could help fill seats in his restaurant. “The more people that come in office, more people coming in, great for our business, create more jobs, more work,” said Yilmaz. “I think this is a very good idea.”
Supervisor Matt Dorsey, whose district includes areas close to City Hall, said the move could push the private sector into getting more of their workers back to the office. “I think we should be doing everything we can to encourage people to come back and to work collaboratively together and it’s good for the downtown, it’s good for my district, and it’s good for the small businesses I represent,” said Supervisor Dorsey.
Rodney Fong from San Francisco’s Chamber of Commerce said if the city can lead by influencing private sector holdouts, it will have a broader impact on San Francisco’s economy, and even the regional economy.
“People up and out and going to work, they’re getting a cup of coffee maybe outside of San Francisco,” said Fong. “Taking BART in having a bagel on the way to the office, having lunch in the office, having drinks after work. Lunch with your colleagues. These are all important pieces of the economy of the entire Bay Area.”
The latest data from the city shows that as of last month showed about 43% of San Francisco workers have returned to their office for work. City leaders are hoping this latest push in the public sector will influence more in the private sector to return to their offices, and repopulate the downtown neighborhoods.
Meanwhile, Gov. Gavin Newsom on Monday issued an executive order for state agency workers to return to the office at least four days a week by July 1.
San FranciscoEconomyDaniel LurieNews
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