More in-person work days for Seattle exec. branch employees

Seattle executive branch employees return to office in November

Starting in November, employees in the city of Seattle's executive branch will have to come back to the office for at least three days a week.

SEATTLE - On Monday, Mayor Bruce Harrell announced that City of Seattle employees in the executive branch will soon be expected to report to their worksite in-person at least three days a week.

The mayor said the move will build on efforts to improve collaboration and service to residents while retaining some flexibility of hybrid scheduling.

"As a city and an employer, we strive to provide the best services to our residents, to build a great office culture for our employees, and to learn the best lessons from the pandemic and modern organizational behavior – and that includes recognizing the benefits of in-person teamwork," said Mayor Harrell.

Changes go into effect starting November 4 of this year. King County employees will also become subject to the same in-person expectations in November.

"Plus, humans are an essential element of vibrant downtowns – something that is a priority for us and Mayor Harrell. Today’s announcement is a good move for City of Seattle employees and residents alike," said Jon Scholes, Downtown Seattle Association President & CEO.

While some agree this is a good move, other local leaders are disappointed with Harrell's decision.

"Today, Mayor Harrell announced that city workers will be required to report to their worksite three days a week. While this is a step forward in the right direction, it’s simply not enough," said District 4 Councilmember Maritza Rivera. "It's not equitable that our front-line workers are expected to be in person every day while our office workers are not. Seattleites need and deserve the most complete and highest quality services our workers can provide. We can’t provide this level of service if people aren’t here."

"Back in March, I urged the mayor to return city employees to in-person work a minimum of 4 days a week, and continued to do so after the Legislative department went to 4 days a week earlier this year," said Councilmember Rivera. "I remain committed to this outcome and look forward to partnering with the mayor in making it a reality,"

The City has nearly 14,000 employees, with roughly 13,300 working for executive branch departments, according to the City.

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