The new Democrat mayor of Portland, Oregon, is requiring hundreds of non-union city employees to begin working in person full-time starting this spring.
Just 30% of the city's nearly 1,000 supervisors and managers work in person, Oregon Public Broadcasting reported Tuesday. But 700 of those employees are working fully or partially remotely. In April, they will all need to return to working in the office.
"I'm committed to a culture of excellence, and working face-to-face cultivates the collaboration, camaraderie and innovation our city deserves," Keith Wilson wrote in a letter to employees. "It also reflects the urgency of our work to end unsheltered homelessness and make Portland a safe, clean and welcoming place to live and work. We are facing a crisis, and we need to act like it."
Wilson has repeatedly stressed the importance of a return-to-office mandate since his election in November.
Wilson won the ranked-choice election for mayor in the 20th round, succeeding two-term Democrat Ted Wheeler, who decided against seeking reelection. Wheeler argued the lack of in-person workers during and after the COVID-19 pandemic contributed to declining business revenue in downtown Portland, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.
"This news will undoubtedly raise questions about our long-term workplace policy for other employees who remain remote and hybrid," Wilson wrote. "Employees who are designated hybrid will still be required to spend at least half their worktime doing in-person work."
After the April mandate begins, about 65% of all city employees will be working in person full-time, according to Oregon Public Broadcasting.