A Permanent Telework Policy and Telework Options for New York City Employees
New York City employee unions, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Council Members, and all candidates for New York City elected office
When the COVID-19 pandemic reached New York in early 2020, New York City did not have a telework policy. The City implemented a temporary telework policy and New York City employees have kept New York running throughout the pandemic. We proved that we can reliably and successfully telework. It is time for teleworking to become a permanent option for City employees.
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To:
New York City employee unions, Mayor Bill de Blasio, New York City Council Members, and all candidates for New York City elected office
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[Your Name]
The pandemic has reshaped the way city staff work. Through this difficult time city employees, departments, and agencies demonstrated their ability to work remotely, changing how and from where they worked on a dime. City service did not stop. City employees stepped up and showed that working remotely can and does work. The question of which titles and agencies can telework has been decided. We ask now that labor negotiations focus on a permanent City-wide telework policy as part of a plan to build back a stronger New York City.
While working side-by-side offers impromptu opportunities for collaboration and team building, technological advances have made these activities possible working remotely. We now know, much of what we do does not require us to be in-person to be efficient. On the contrary, there is good evidence from global studies that telework frees employees from common office-place distractions (Bloom et al. 2014).
Allowing interested staff to continue to work remotely saves desk and office space, would allow staff to work from home when sick preventing the spread of cold and flu, and reduces traffic. Furthermore, it offers an opportunity to spread the economic activity of city staff to businesses in their local neighborhoods beyond the main Manhattan business centers. Cutting down on commuting hours frees up time for exercise, community building, caregiving, and rest. Preserving the possibility of working remotely will make for a happier city worker and a healthier New York. Rather than compromising efficiency, this simple step will boost energy, health, and morale while at the same time saving city funds by reducing the city’s office footprint.
Let us not ignore this lesson, city business can be conducted with telework options. We ask that the unions, the mayor, City Council Members, and all candidates for elected office plan for and endorse a future where City employees telework.
Bloom, N., Liang, J., Roberts, J., Zhichun, J.Y. (2014). Does Working from Home Work? Evidence from a Chinese Experiment. Quarterly Journal of Economics.