4 in 10 Manhattan employers delaying return to work plans due to delta variant: survey

A survey of Manhattan employers finds that more than 4 in 10 have delayed their return-to-work timelines as the delta variant continues to cause a surge in coronavirus cases.

Business advocacy group Partnership for New York City told The Hill it surveyed 180 companies representing 229,364 Manhattan office employees between Aug. 9-20 for its latest poll.

The survey found that 44 percent said they had delayed their return plans, while 54 percent said they had not. According to the poll, just 23 percent of office workers in Manhattan have returned to the workplace, far fewer than previously expected.

The group said that a poll conducted in late May found that New York employers predicted that 62 percent of workers would be back in the office by the end of September, but employers now expect about 41 percent of office workers to return by the end of the month. 

The survey also showed that 76 percent of Manhattan employers polled project that workers will be in the office by January 2022, though 70 percent of those employers plan to adopt a hybrid work schedule with employees working at least a couple days remotely.

Ninety-four percent of employers surveyed said they support New York City’s mandate requiring customers to provide proof of vaccination for indoor dining, fitness or entertainment facilities, and 3 out of 5 said they would require their employees to be vaccinated.

New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (D) has previously urged his city’s businesses to require their employees to receive the COVID-19 vaccine.

New York announced in August that it would require vaccinations for indoor activities and require all public school teachers and staff to be vaccinated.