Portland council committee hears wide-ranging concerns over mayor’s return-to-office mandate

Mayor Keith Wilson and the city’s human resources director told the Labor and Workforce Development Committee on March 27 that managers and supervisors will be expected to return to city worksites full time beginning April 7, 2025, setting off a large public response from employee groups and city staff.

"With this change, nearly 80% of all working hours will be performed in person at the city of Portland," Mayor Keith Wilson said, urging that in-person work supports mentorship, collaboration and the city’s response to a fiscal shortfall.

The directive is targeted to managers and supervisors; Tracy Warren, Portland’s human resources director, told the committee the policy requires managers and supervisors to be on-site starting April 7 while ADA accommodations and existing telework arrangements would continue to be honored. Warren said current workforce location data show roughly 54% of employees working in person, 38% hybrid and 8% fully remote; with the manager/supervisor change she said anticipated distributions would move to about 64% in person, 28% hybrid and 8% remote.

Why it matters: employees and employee-resource groups said the policy could drive experienced staff — particularly people with disabilities, caregivers and parents — out of city employment and weaken diversity in leadership. Dozens of speakers at the committee’s public hearing described obstacles to a full-time in-office requirement and…