Riders get off the escalator from Montgomery station on Friday, July 22, 2022. As of July 20, 39.1% of workers have returned to work in offices in The City.

Riders get off the escalator from Montgomery station on Friday, July 22, 2022. As of July 20, 39.1% of workers have returned to work in offices in The City.

OK, people. That's enough. It's been well over two years now of working in your pajamas. It's time to find your pants and get back to the office. 

I know. Working from home can be fantastic. No commute. Afternoon naps. The boss can't pop in on you. There's plenty to be said for the remote lifestyle. 

But San Francisco's current pace of return is not sustainable. Major systems are at risk, namely small businesses, restaurants, bars and commercial real estate. Our downtown could be in for a real meltdown, despite recent noise about populating our streets with festivals and events. That sounds nice, but what our city really needs is a workforce return. Sometimes, you have to think macro even if the micro solution is more comfortable.

Consider this. The Examiner obtained the latest numbers on workplace return from San Francisco's Office of Economic Analysis, and the numbers are trending upward, but still dismal. Compared to cities with similar workforces — San Jose, Los Angeles, New York and Austin — our return rates remain low. For the week of July 20, just 39.1% of our workers have returned to the office, up from a miserable 30% in early July. New York and Los Angeles aren't doing much better, averaging about 41% of its desks filled. Austin, Texas is the star of the show, with a 59% return rate. And San Jose? The worst of the bunch, with just 36.5 % of its workers back.

So this isn't strictly a regional issue, although our preponderance of tech companies seems to be holding us back. Recently, Salesforce announced it was dumping 40% of its office space at 50 Fremont Street, marking the third time the massive employer has trimmed its workplace ambitions in San Francisco since the pandemic began. I was surprised by the move, as CEO Marc Benioff is a generational San Franciscan who should understand the importance of a vibrant downtown to The City's fortunes. He just built the biggest building in town, for crying out loud. You'd think he'd wanna it full. But, no. It's "work where you want" for many Salesforce employees, leaving San Francisco to find revenue where it can. Hope you rethink this, Marc. 

I spoke to senior economist Asim Khan, at San Francisco's Office of Economic Analysis, to get his read on the situation. He sees what I'm seeing.

“If we continue with this rate, and it becomes a permanent model that workers can stay home, even part-time, it’s going to take a long, long time to surpass the pre-pandemic levels (of occupancy)," said Khan. “If the levels stay low, there will be pressure on real estate in the office market. That office space price is going to fall. ... If there are more workers in The City, of course they have to eat out, they’re going to be spending and helping the small businesses. That does have an impact."

The question of company policy, in relation to returning to the office, usually lands on productivity. There have been a ton of studies published in the past two years showing work-from-home actually improves productivity ... according to the workers. Most all of the studies I found cite worker surveys as the primary source. So do you do better work in your pajamas? Yes, I do! That seems to be the basis for this now widely held belief. I'm sorry, but I don't buy it. I know people prefer to work from home, avoiding long commutes. But I'm not sure I believe the productivity paradigm. We've all worked from home. There's a bit of flexibility there that allows for some downtime. Just admit it. It's OK.

So we know working at home can be more relaxing. It helps work-life balance. But it's also leaving our beloved San Francisco a barren wasteland at times, exposing us all to a larger economic catastrophe that no one wants. What's the solution?

Get your ass back in the office. Here are five reasons why:

Reason #5: Your housemates are sick of you. I don't care if you live with your friends or your spouse, your cats or your mouse. If you've been working at home for over two years, they're sick of you. And you're sick of them. Even if you live alone, you're sick of yourself. It's time to get out of the house and rejoin the world, because....

Reason #4: You're becoming a hermit.  Remember the before times? When you used to go out and socialize with people. Remember happy hour? Believe it or not, it's still going on out here, every single day. There are cafes and bars, restaurants and parks. It's quite nice in downtown San Francisco, despite what you might see and hear on Fox News. Humans are social animals and living a sequestered life is not great for our emotional well-being. Get out of the house and rejoin the party! Even if it's around a water cooler.

Reason #3: The food sucks. I had a cup of Ukrainian Borscht for lunch the other day. Then there's the dim sum place around the corner. Mexican. Vegetarian. Pescatarian. There's a little bit of everything for the lunchtime palate in The City. And don't tell me you prefer making tuna sandwiches and eating over the sink. You don't. Get out of the house. Break out the wallet. Your stomach will thank me. 

Reason #2: Collaboration works. Nothing can replace getting together with your co-workers, in person, when it comes to collaboration and cooperation. And if you don't believe me, I have one word for you: Zoom. Remote working taught us many things, and showed the world we can overcome many obstacles to get things done. But it's hard to argue against face-to-face interaction. Again, it's what we're wired to do. And it forces us to put (respectable) pants on. Just do it. Because, most importantly ... 

Reason #1: San Francisco needs you. The City is suffering without its workforce, which used to nearly double our population every day. We need this economic engine to get back on our feet. Do your part and get on BART. Don't be a meanie and get on the MUNI. Get off your seat and get on your feet. Stop being shitty and get back to The City. Whatever it takes, find your way back, people. It's the right thing to do. And it's long past due. 

The Arena, a column from The Examiner’s Al Saracevic, explores San Francisco’s playing field, from politics and technology to sports and culture. Send your tips, quips and quotes to asaracevic@sfexaminer.com. Sign up for his weekly newsletter here. And follow him on Twitter @alsaracevic. 

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