Most employees of big Manhattan offices working hybrid schedules

Richard Brower of South Hempstead has the Goldilocks of work schedules.

Two days in his Long Island home office (actually, the family room of his house). Three days in his lower Manhattan office.

This hybrid, he said, is just right.

“It breaks up the week. It’s nice,” said Brower, 63, a chief inspector at the New York City Department of Buildings.

During the peak of the pandemic, Brower was working only from home. Later, he had to return five days a week in person. Just recently, the rules changed to permit hybrid attendance.

“I don’t like working from home the entire time," he said. "You really can’t keep your hands on the button of what’s going on there, really.”

A plurality of those employed by the biggest Manhattan offices have a hybrid schedule like Brower's — in-person three days a week — according to a survey released this week by the Partnership for New York City, a business group.

The survey, of 140 major Manhattan office employers, was taken between Aug. 23 and Sept. 15, and found that 11.6% of the workers are in person five days a week, 15.7% are in four days a week, 44.1% are in three days a week, 15.6% are in two days a week, 6.8% are in one day a week and 6.2% are fully remote. 

“I was pleased that only 6 percent of jobs are full-time remote,” said Kathryn Wylde, head of the partnership.

In January, it was 9%. A year ago it was 10%. During the peak of the pandemic, of course, practically everyone was working fully remote but essential workers.

The latest survey found that 64% of employers have a hybrid schedule in 2023, 27% have “a combination of roles that are hybrid, remote, and in the office five days a week depending on the job function,” and 9% require daily attendance in person.

For much of his tenure as mayor, Eric Adams has been trying to compel municipal workers to return to the office five days a week: “You can’t run New York City from home,” he said last year, soon after being sworn in.

The "financial ecosystem" of the city depended on in-person attendance and the collateral benefits. He wanted to set an example for private employers by having the government's own workers in person.

"You can’t stay at home in your pajamas all day," he said. "That’s not who we are as a city.”

But, buffeted by a tight labor market and tens of thousands of vacancies in the city’s workforce, Adams has softened somewhat, and now thousands of workers are on a hybrid schedule, two days a week at home, three days in person.

And as some commercial real estate sits vacant post pandemic, Adams has also announced plans to convert vacant office space into homes.

Asked about the Partnership's report, Adams spokesman Jonah Allon said in email, “As Mayor Adams says, New York City is not coming back — New York City is back…. While the numbers are clear that workers are coming back to the office and helping our city recover, some hybrid work is here to stay — that’s why we continue to work with our partners in Albany to allow offices to become much-needed homes for New Yorkers.”

By Matthew Chayes

matthew.chayes@newsday.comchayesmatthew

Matthew Chayes, a Newsday reporter since 2007, covers New York City.