Approximately 1,600 city of Houston employees will return to the office full-time in an end to the city’s hybrid work policy, the mayor’s office announced Wednesday.
An end to hybrid schedules will ensure “teamwork, innovation and accountability,” Mayor John Whitmire said in a press release about the change.
“We are all public servants, and each employee plays a vital role in ensuring our municipal government operates efficiently and prioritizes the needs of our constituents,” Whitmire said in a statement. “The best way to serve the public is to work together in the office, enhancing collaboration and making the city of Houston more effective as we tackle significant challenges.”
Municipal workers will have to be back in-office starting Feb. 1 unless given an approved exception from management. The administration projected the change to affect approximately 1,600 of 22,000 workers.
Houston’s hybrid-telework program began in 2023 after the COVID-19 pandemic demonstrated that “teleworking can result in improved productivity and improved morale when implemented correctly,” according to the city’s description of the program.
District C Councilmember Abbie Kamin, chair of the council labor committee, said she did not learn of the policy change until the administration alerted the public. She then broke the news to other council members, she told the Landing.
Kamin did not believe all positions were suitable for remote work, but she worried how the change would impact families and employees who were hired under the hybrid policy.
“Service to residents has to be at the forefront, but it’s not a one-size-fits-all approach,” Kamin said. “Where we can incorporate innovative and supportive work environments, we should be.”
The municipal worker union, the Houston Organization of Public Employees, could not be immediately reached for comment.
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