Starting in April, remote and hybrid work will end for city managers and supervisors. Mayor Keith Wilson says non-supervisory employees won't see any changes this year. by Courtney Vaughn Portland Mayor Keith Wilson will require supervisors and managers to return full-time to city offices this spring. In an announcement Tuesday, Wilson said starting in April, all supervisory and managerial employees will have to work in-person at their city offices, rather than the hybrid or remote schedules many of them currently maintain. “Managers and supervisors set the tone and culture for staff across our city,” Wilson stated. “High-performing organizations across the nation have shown us it’s possible to bring people back together, while also remaining flexible.” The mayor, who took office earlier this month, says the change will foster a “culture of excellence” fueled by face-to-face collaboration, and help the city tackle unsheltered homelessness with urgency. In a letter to affected employees, Wilson told staff the decision came after hearing perspectives from city leaders and city staff.  “Your input is well-heard, and I have carefully considered what’s best for our organization before making this decision,” Wilson’s letter reads. “Under existing policy, in-person managers may continue to flex time to go to appointments or family commitments. Remote workdays remain an option, at your discretion, to accommodate travel or occasionally go heads-down on major work projects.” The change will impact about 700 people who currently work partially or fully remotely. Earlier talk of requiring in-person work of all city employees didn’t go over well. Any changes to working conditions, such as remote work, need to be ironed out in labor contract negotiations. Representatives from labor unions said many city employees have structured their lives around flexible work conditions to accommodate childcare, commuting, and other needs. The new mandate only applies to managerial employees and supervisors, who aren't typically represented by labor unions. The mayor's announcement comes as the city and two of its primary labor unions have hit an impasse in contract negotiations, giving way to a possible employee strike in the coming weeks. City representatives say the standstill is largely over compensation. A city spokesperson did not immediately respond to questions about whether in-person work is being negotiated in current union labor contracts, but Wilson said he doesn’t plan any new policy changes for non-managerial staff this year. Return-to-work requirements were first discussed by former Mayor Ted Wheeler. Wheeler required most city employees to return to the office at least half-time, or 20 hours a week. In-person work was also the linchpin in a business tax incentive initiated by Wheeler and former Commissioner Carmen Rubio in 2023.  The incentive offered tax breaks to businesses downtown and around the central city who signed a new lease or renewed a lease for at least four years, and required employees to work in office at least half-time. The incentive was largely meant to revitalize local businesses by increasing foot traffic in core areas of the city. The city of Portland employs nearly 6,675 people. Mayor Wilson says most of those employees (about 3,500) already have fully in-person roles. After the mandate takes effect in April, roughly 35 percent of city employees will still be hybrid or remote workers.