Some of you reading this who worked in an office as of March 19, 2020, probably haven’t been back to that office, at least not full-time, since March 19, 2020. That was the day when then-Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf (remember him?) ordered all non-essential businesses to close. But that was 2020. COVID is, of course, still a thing. But it’s now a thing sort of like the flu and RSV are things. And Philadelphia Mayor Cherelle Parker says enough is enough.
Last week, Parker told many city officials in Philadelphia to get off their couches and back to the office full-time. She fully expects the 25,000 or so other city employees to eventually do the same. And now, Parker has expanded her call, telling all Philly businesses to get their workers back to the office.
She said so at a Wednesday meeting of the Chamber of Commerce of Greater Philadelphia, telling the business owners and executives in attendance that she’ll do everything she can to make sure their employees have a clean and safe Center City to come back to. But, Parker insisted, a bright new future for Center City is “only sustainable” if all those workers head back to the office.
Thanks to COVID, pedestrian traffic in Center City went way, way down, as any Center City store, café, restaurant or bar will attest. But things haveimproved. Pedestrian activity is now up to about 85 percent of what it was before COVID knocked us out. Parker is hoping her back-to-the-office agenda will bring that stat up to 100 percent or even higher.
You can read Parker’s remarks here. One thing’s for sure: She knows how to give a speech.
No more WFH.... get ya asses back in them offices!!!
