It's time to do a vibe check on the state of remote work
Earlier this month, City of Seattle workers were told most of them will have to return to the office at least 3 days a week starting this fall. Meanwhile… a certain large tech and online retail company (named after a river in South America) has reportedly started a mulling the minimum number of hours employees must stay on site to count towards its three day in-office mandate.
These changes had us wondering – is remote work gradually eroding in the Puget Sound region?
One study looking at 2022 Census data found that a quarter of workers in the Seattle-Tacoma-Bellevue metro area worked at least part of the week remotely, away from the office.
But the past year has brought a lot of changes to employer policies around where employees have to put in their hours – and for policymakers, that’s coinciding with concern about the lasting effects of remote work on Seattle’s struggling downtown core.
For a vibe check on remote work and what the numbers tell us about its effects on Seattle, Soundside host Libby Denkmann caught up with Tracy Hadden Loh, fellow at the Brookings Institute, and Joshua McNichols, growth and development reporter for KUOW and co-host of the "Booming" podcast.
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Soundside is a production of KUOW in Seattle, a proud member of the NPR Network.
Guests:
- Tracy Hadden Loh, fellow at the Brookings Institute in Washington, D.C.
- Joshua McNichols, growth and development reporter for KUOW and co-host of the "Booming" podcast.
Related Links:
- How to break the doom loop: Actionable insights from the Brookings Future of Downtowns learning exchange
- Amazon cracks down on ‘coffee badging,’ amid return-to-office push | The Seattle Times
- KUOW - Seattle ticks through to-do list to revive downtown
- Seattle mayor mandates 3 days of in-office work for city employees (komonews.com)
Related Links:
- How to break the doom loop: Actionable insights from the Brookings Future of Downtowns learning exchange
- Amazon cracks down on ‘coffee badging,’ amid return-to-office push | The Seattle Times
- KUOW - Seattle ticks through to-do list to revive downtown
- Seattle mayor mandates 3 days of in-office work for city employees (komonews.com)
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Libby Denkmann
Host, Soundside
Libby Denkmann joined KUOW in December 2021 as the host of the midday show Soundside. She’s a native Pacific Northwesterner who grew up in Redmond, graduated from the University of Washington, and covered local news as a producer and reporter with KIRO Radio.
More stories from Libby Denkmann » -
Alec Cowan
Producer, Soundside
Alec Cowan is a producer for Soundside. His interests have brought many eclectic stories to the program, and his segments gravitate toward history, technology, arts and culture, and the environment. He's proud to be KUOW's unofficial "boat guy."
More stories from Alec Cowan » -
Joshua McNichols
Growth and Development Reporter
As KUOW's Growth and Development reporter and co-host of KUOW's Booming podcast, Joshua's "growing pains" beat sits at the nexus of housing, transportation, urban planning, government and the economy. His favorite stories also include themes of history, technology, and climate change.
More stories from Joshua McNichols »
