The City of Philadelphia is ordering all 26,000 municipal employees back to the office five days per week, according to a report by National Public Radio.
While several unions representing the city’s workers argued that change in work arrangements must be negotiated, a Philadelphia County judge ruled in favour of city officials, who have maintained that changing work locations is “a matter of managerial prerogative.” The unions have since pushed for a pause until their grievances are formally heard, a process that is still ongoing.
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During a discussion of the return-to-office policy at a June city council meeting, workers spoke about personal health struggles and family caregiving responsibilities that make working onsite untenable, including taking children to medical appointments and caring for elderly family members.
In the report, city officials noted about 80 per cent of its employees already work onsite full time.
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