A view of the downtown Denver skyline from the Golden Triangle. (Courtesy Guerilla Capturing)
On Monday, on the first day of his second term in office, President Donald Trump signed an executive order mandating federal agencies ditch remote work and get employees back in the office as soon as possible.
Eighteen months into Denver Mayor Mike Johnston’s first term, meanwhile, he has yet to alter the in-office work requirements for city employees set by his predecessor.
Jordan Fuja, a spokeswoman for the mayor, confirmed Wednesday that Denver employees still have a hybrid schedule, where they’re expected to work in-office three days a week.
That policy dates to late 2022, when former Mayor Michael Hancock upped the requirement from two days to three days. Like many private employers, the city was gradually expecting more time in the office as the pandemic retreated further into the rearview mirror.
Mayor Mike Johnston speaks to the media in July 2023. (RJ Sangosti/The Denver Post)
In January 2023, when Johnston was running for mayor, he told BusinessDen that “I’d like to see us increase that” when asked about the three-day requirement. But he added he “wouldn’t declare a policy now before I have a chance to talk to my employees.”
Fuja didn’t respond to a request for comment regarding why the mayor opted not to change the requirement.
Denver isn’t unique. As Trump pushes to get federal workers back in their office — and employees have lingering questions about what his Monday memo truly means — municipalities and state agencies in the Denver area continue to allow remote work.
Lawrence Pacheco, spokesman for Attorney General Phil Weiser, said in an email that “flexible work agreements are common throughout Colorado state government.”
The Department of Law, the formal name for the AG’s office, does not have enough office space to accommodate all employees five days a week, Pacheco said. That problem was exacerbated by late 2023 damage to the Ralph L. Carr Colorado Judicial Center, which prompted the department to sublease space in the Wells Fargo Center.
“The DOL permits hybrid work in order to manage limited office space and to attract and retain talent,” he said, noting the policy hasn’t changed since 2021.
Matthew Inzeo, spokesman for the Colorado Department of Transportation, which is headquartered near Empower Field at Mile High, said in-office requirements vary by position and team.
“In general, office-based employees have hybrid set-ups where most people are in the office two to four days a week,” Inzeo said.
Governor Jared Polis issued an executive order of his own regarding remote work in February 2022. It said Covid-19 had shown state workers could be productive under “flexible work arrangements” and directed the Colorado Department of Personnel & Administration to craft a plan reducing state office space by 30 percent.
On the municipal level, in Lakewood, city employees working five eight-hour shifts can work remotely twice a week, while those working four 10-hour shifts can work remotely once, according to spokeswoman Stacie Oulton. That policy has been in place since 2021.
It’s worth noting that municipalities often have some employees — like police officers, and garbage collectors — that are in the field constantly and can’t work remotely.
In Greenwood Village, which didn’t have an official remote work policy prior to the pandemic, the policy now states that remote work for more than 40 percent of an employee’s workweek requires approval of the city manager, according to spokeswoman Megan Copenhaver.
In both the public and private sectors, regular remote work has lingered long after the average person put away their facemasks. Employers permitting it tend to talk about the need to attract and retain employees, who often welcome the ability to skip a commute here and there and say they are just as productive at home. Proponents of in-office work often say it allows employees to interact more easily and boosts productivity.
Reduced foot traffic stemming from increased remote work is also one factor hammering downtowns across the country, including Denver. Many Denver departments are based near Civic Center Park — meaning a policy change by Johnston could affect downtown foot traffic overnight.
Steve Weil, president of Rockmount Ranch Wear, a western apparel manufacturer and retailer, told BusinessDen in 2023 Denver’s three-day-a-week policy “looks bad to those of us who are trying to reactivate downtown.”
Johnston did make one notable move in his first months that affected downtown foot traffic. Ahead of renovations to the Webb Municipal Office Building at 201 W. Colfax Ave., he opted to lease space in Republic Plaza for displaced workers, rather than sending them home. The city also bought the former Denver Post building at 101 W. Colfax Ave. last year, although that effort started during the Hancock administration.
There are some signs of a possible shift regarding remote work. In the private sector, Amazon, JPMorgan Chase and AT&T recently told employees they’d have to return to the office five days a week in 2025. On the local government side, the mayor of Portland, Oregon, told city managers to return to the office full-time in April, a move that affects some 700 employees, according to the local alt-weekly.
Trump, meanwhile, previewed his executive order at a December press conference.
“If people don’t come back to work, come back into the office, they’re going to be dismissed,” he said.
The 65-word memo Trump signed Monday tells agencies to “take all necessary steps” to get workers back at their “respective duty stations.” It does say that agency heads can grant exemptions.
