Delta Variant Steers Return-to-Office Sentiment in NYC

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A just-released survey from The Partnership for New York City reveals how the latest COVID-19 developments have influenced return-to-office policies among major employers. Conducted between August 9 and August 20, the survey shows that 54 percent of employers have not delayed their plans for bringing workers back.

According to the results, 23 percent of Manhattan employees had returned to the office by late August, while the figure is expected to reach 41 percent by the end of September. By comparison, in late May, only 12 percent of employees had returned to work. The numbers are lower than the ones revealed by a similar survey from the Partnership in May, which projected a 62 percent return rate by the end of September.

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A total of 85 percent of real estate employees had returned to the office at the time of the survey, registering a 15 percent increase since May, while most financial services employees still worked from home, with only 29 percent back at the office. Most firms adopted the “hybrid” working model (70 percent), in which employees can work remotely for part of their weekly schedule. Only 26 percent of employers require their workers to be in the office full time.

A report from the Real Estate Board of New York released earlier this month showed that broker confidence within New York City had risen to record levels, with optimism fueled by increased vaccination rates and the return of tourists. Since then, the accelerated spread of the Delta variant and breakthrough cases might have tampered that soar, revealing once again the unpredictable nature of the ongoing health crisis.

Vaccination and other in-house policies

Looking to early 2022, 76 percent of office employees are anticipated to return to their workplace by January, the Partnership’s survey found. The rate of New York City-based, fully vaccinated employees at the companies which were represented in the survey rose to 81 percent.

Among the companies disclosing their vaccination policies, 58 percent required all employees to be vaccinated, while 44 percent are planning to require all office guests to be inoculated. Unvaccinated employees might face certain restrictions, such as not being able to attend in-person meetings, client meetings or business trips. As for mask wearing within the workspace, 49 percent of respondents will require employees to cover up while in the office, with 32 percent mandating masks only for the unvaccinated.