The Jan. 28 editorial “It’s time federal staff returned to the workplace” was misguided. The opinion that downtown D.C. is affected by vacant places of work and closed eating places due to the federal telework coverage is legitimate, however it isn’t the duty of the federal authorities to handle these points. The federal authorities and its employees have imperatives: to do the very best job for the least quantity of taxpayer cash and to serve its staff. Federal businesses can and are establishing their very own telework insurance policies that greatest serve the federal authorities and company staff. These businesses resolve when and the way usually their staff should go to the workplace, and federal staff are going into the workplace as anticipated. The brand new system is working and has turn out to be extremely valued amongst federal staff.
Washington, D.C
Opinion | Federal workers are not downtown D.C.’s pawns’
The editorial didn’t point out that federal employees who at the moment are capable of make money working from home no less than half time have helped cut back native visitors congestion, air pollution and power consumption. Nor did the editorial point out that federal employees who can telework have helped their native communities via elevated eating and procuring the place they stay. Federal employees, who’ve for many years commuted faithfully through the difficult Metro system or on congested highways, have now adjusted to the brand new telework insurance policies — as have their households. These devoted public servants shouldn’t now be used to prop up the D.C. economic system. They deserve higher.
Dominic Russoli, Rockville
As an worker of the federal authorities for nearly 20 years, by no means as soon as has my job description included serving to my company “inculcate values” amongst my colleagues. Nor have I ever agreed to assist hold downtown D.C. “booming” by discounting my confirmed skill to do my job successfully from dwelling, as I’ve for the previous three years. Having no commute means spending extra time with my younger youngsters and attending to benefit from the dwelling and neighborhood my spouse and I are paying so dearly to stay in. I’d sooner stop than give these up.
Marc Pfeuffer, Takoma Park
I learn with bemusement the editorial and experiences of D.C. Mayor Muriel E. Bowser (D) urging employers to compel their workforces to return to in-person work to “save” downtown. After years of municipal neglect and a few resentment by official D.C. towards out-of-town commuters, to search out ourselves needed is a wierd expertise. But, the newfound love would really feel extra real if it weren’t accompanied by a bunch of efforts to make the each day commute much more soul-crushing.
counterpointFinally, some bipartisanship on federal employees returning to the workplace
From decrease pace limits to fewer or narrower lanes, to the approaching finish of “proper on purple,” driving in D.C. has by no means been harder. Metrorail — with comparatively rare service and common delays, and now with the latest proposal to disproportionately improve fares on staff touring from the suburbs — just isn’t a gorgeous different.
Most workplace staff don’t should be within the workplace frequently to do their jobs, and forcing them to take action for some better civic good appears quixotic. Admittedly, D.C. is balancing competing objectives, together with making the town extra bike-friendly. But, if Ms. Bowser really desires to encourage returns to the workplace, one step she may take can be to make the commuting expertise as inviting as potential.
Behnam Dayanim, Silver Spring
The editorial calling for federal staff to return to the workplace targeted completely on the purported advantages of requiring federal staff to return downtown. However what in regards to the prices of doing so? What about the fee to the setting, as a whole bunch of 1000’s of further folks drive into the town in the course of the week? What about the fee to households and fairness, as ladies and different underrepresented people are pressured to pay for added baby care or drop out of the workforce altogether as a result of they’re commuting for 2 hours a day fairly than caring for his or her youngsters? What in regards to the impact on housing affordability, as extra persons are pressured to stay nearer to the town?’
We must always consider this problem based mostly on the prices and advantages to our society total, fairly than focusing solely on the town’s enterprise and actual property pursuits.