A view of the downtown skyline from the Golden Triangle. (Courtesy Guerilla Capturing)
Steve Weil says he voiced his frustration to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock during a conversation in person last summer: Why weren’t city employees back at the office?
At the time, many municipal workers — not counting folks like cops or garbage truck drivers — were required to work in the office or field only two days a week. That was up from zero days, the result of the work-from-home pivot forced by the pandemic.
Steve Weil
Weil, president of Rockmount Ranch Wear at 1626 Wazee St., says Hancock responded that he’d increase the in-office requirement to three days a week come November. And he did.
Weil, however, still doesn’t think that’s enough.
“It looks bad to those of us who are trying to reactivate downtown,” he said.
Hancock will leave office in July. Spokesman Michael Strott said the administration doesn’t plan to change the remote work policy before then.
No one disputes that the city center lacks the vibrancy it had pre-pandemic. Foot traffic is down. Offices are less regularly used. There are more vacant storefronts. Vagrancy is more visible.
But while many economic development initiatives take a while to implement, and depend heavily on the private sector, control of the city’s ample workforce means Denver’s next mayor could significantly boost downtown foot traffic in their first week by requiring employees to come in four or five days.
But will the next mayor do that? BusinessDen asked 10 candidates by email whether they’d change the current remote work policy.
Of course, a change could impact more than foot traffic. In that conversation last summer, Weil says he asked Hancock why the in-office requirement wasn’t greater.
“He said, ‘I’m afraid they’ll quit,'” said Weil.
Nine candidates responded. Two did so directly by email. Spokespeople for six others emailed statements on their behalf.
Mike Johnston: The former Colorado state senator and nonprofit CEO was the only candidate to ask to speak by phone.
Johnston told BusinessDen he wants to lead by example in the mayoral role — which he repeatedly referred to as CEO of the city — because “part of my responsibility is to work with our business leaders to convince them to bring their workforce back to downtown.
“I will be focusing on working with our employees to encourage them to be in the office as much as possible,” he said.
Regarding the current three-day requirement, “I’d like to see us increase that,” Johnston said. But he added he “wouldn’t declare a policy now before I have a chance to talk to my employees.”
Asked if he believes workers are currently as productive on at-home days as in-office days, he responded: “I’d have to ask them, and I’d have to ask their customers — what do Denver residents think.”
Johnston also wants to roll out programs that encourage private employers to bring workers back downtown. He said that could mean subsidizing public transportation or creating an incentive for businesses to offer on-site child care.
He also said there are related challenges to address.
“The first issue we have to solve is safety and comfort downtown,” Johnston said.
Debbie Ortega: The at-large council member named specific departments that should expect more in-office time if she’s elected, saying downtown needs to be “the heart of the city again.”
“This includes the return of our workforce, especially our front-facing agencies, such as permit staff, the DMV, and Human Services,” Ortega said. “Our community depends on these services and the same level of efficiency is impossible with the majority of staff working remotely. We would of course consider exemptions.”
Leslie Herod: The state representative said “In-person collaboration is key to that quick decision-making process.
“Within my first hundred days, increasing morale, collaboration, and effective communications will be my top priorities for city employees. This includes getting back to work when the job demands it.”
Herod also expressed concern about the number of unfilled positions in the city government.
“During my time on the JBC (Joint Budget Committee), I recognized the need for us to meet pre-pandemic levels for employment,” Herod said. “Requiring employees to meet the demands of our city with fewer employees is unrealistic.”
Kelly Brough: The former Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce CEO and chief of staff to then-mayor John Hickenlooper said revitalizing downtown “requires thoughtful and extensive strategies” involving both city employees and downtown employers.
“Like every other employer, I would assess which functions and services are effective and efficient through remote work, in whole or in part, and which ones need an in-person presence to best serve residents,” Brough said.
She emphasized that workers like firefighters and 911 dispatchers never went remote.
“It is important to recognize there are thousands of city employees who have never worked from home despite a pandemic,” Brough said.
Lisa Calderón: The head of Emerge Colorado, which recruits Democratic women to run for office, said one of her first priorities would be “to hear from city employees across agencies, including about the work-from-home policy.
“We need to increase city worker morale, which has suffered under the past two administrations by providing flexible work options while also improving customer service at all entry points,” Calderón said.
But she also suggested the city’s offices shouldn’t necessarily be concentrated downtown.
“By decentralizing City Hall to embed representatives into neighborhood spaces where people naturally congregate, including downtown residents, we can both support our workforce — whether in the field, office or home — while maintaining a robust presence in serving Denver residents across our city.”
Chris Hansen: The state senator said he would be “committed to delivering high-quality city services and ensuring tight coordination between departments, addressing backlogs, and creating opportunities for collaboration.”
“If that means workers need to be in a healthy and safe office for more than three days per week, then Chris will work with them to accomplish that,” he said through a spokeswoman.
Trinidad Rodriguez: The longtime finance executive said he would “revisit” the current work-from-home policy.
“This also means working to expand access to wellness, exercise, child care, and collaborative and interactive work spaces,” Rodriguez said. “My plan also prioritizes cleaning up downtown and restoring public safety. If we’re going to create vibrancy in downtown, we need to bring our workers back.”
Andy Rougeot: The owner of a self-storage maintenance business was the only person to directly say he’d make city employees “return to full-time, in-person work.” In a direct email, he said he’d also enforce the camping ban on the books and add 400 police officers.
Terrance Roberts: The anti-gang activist was the only person to say he’d make many employees fully remote.
“I have worked remotely and I understand the benefits of having the flexibility and the time and cost savings for employees,” Roberts said in a direct email. “There is no reason to force employees out of home and into the city, adding more resources and financial responsibility needed from them if they do not need to leave their home to perform quality work.”
A view of the downtown skyline from the Golden Triangle. (Courtesy Guerilla Capturing)
Steve Weil says he voiced his frustration to Denver Mayor Michael Hancock during a conversation in person last summer: Why weren’t city employees back at the office?
At the time, many municipal workers — not counting folks like cops or garbage truck drivers — were required to work in the office or field only two days a week. That was up from zero days, the result of the work-from-home pivot forced by the pandemic.
Steve Weil
Weil, president of Rockmount Ranch Wear at 1626 Wazee St., says Hancock responded that he’d increase the in-office requirement to three days a week come November. And he did.
Weil, however, still doesn’t think that’s enough.
“It looks bad to those of us who are trying to reactivate downtown,” he said.
Hancock will leave office in July. Spokesman Michael Strott said the administration doesn’t plan to change the remote work policy before then.
No one disputes that the city center lacks the vibrancy it had pre-pandemic. Foot traffic is down. Offices are less regularly used. There are more vacant storefronts. Vagrancy is more visible.
But while many economic development initiatives take a while to implement, and depend heavily on the private sector, control of the city’s ample workforce means Denver’s next mayor could significantly boost downtown foot traffic in their first week by requiring employees to come in four or five days.
But will the next mayor do that? BusinessDen asked 10 candidates by email whether they’d change the current remote work policy.
Of course, a change could impact more than foot traffic. In that conversation last summer, Weil says he asked Hancock why the in-office requirement wasn’t greater.
“He said, ‘I’m afraid they’ll quit,'” said Weil.
Nine candidates responded. Two did so directly by email. Spokespeople for six others emailed statements on their behalf.
Mike Johnston: The former Colorado state senator and nonprofit CEO was the only candidate to ask to speak by phone.
Johnston told BusinessDen he wants to lead by example in the mayoral role — which he repeatedly referred to as CEO of the city — because “part of my responsibility is to work with our business leaders to convince them to bring their workforce back to downtown.
“I will be focusing on working with our employees to encourage them to be in the office as much as possible,” he said.
Regarding the current three-day requirement, “I’d like to see us increase that,” Johnston said. But he added he “wouldn’t declare a policy now before I have a chance to talk to my employees.”
Asked if he believes workers are currently as productive on at-home days as in-office days, he responded: “I’d have to ask them, and I’d have to ask their customers — what do Denver residents think.”
Johnston also wants to roll out programs that encourage private employers to bring workers back downtown. He said that could mean subsidizing public transportation or creating an incentive for businesses to offer on-site child care.
He also said there are related challenges to address.
“The first issue we have to solve is safety and comfort downtown,” Johnston said.
Debbie Ortega: The at-large council member named specific departments that should expect more in-office time if she’s elected, saying downtown needs to be “the heart of the city again.”
“This includes the return of our workforce, especially our front-facing agencies, such as permit staff, the DMV, and Human Services,” Ortega said. “Our community depends on these services and the same level of efficiency is impossible with the majority of staff working remotely. We would of course consider exemptions.”
Leslie Herod: The state representative said “In-person collaboration is key to that quick decision-making process.
“Within my first hundred days, increasing morale, collaboration, and effective communications will be my top priorities for city employees. This includes getting back to work when the job demands it.”
Herod also expressed concern about the number of unfilled positions in the city government.
“During my time on the JBC (Joint Budget Committee), I recognized the need for us to meet pre-pandemic levels for employment,” Herod said. “Requiring employees to meet the demands of our city with fewer employees is unrealistic.”
Kelly Brough: The former Denver Metro Chamber of Commerce CEO and chief of staff to then-mayor John Hickenlooper said revitalizing downtown “requires thoughtful and extensive strategies” involving both city employees and downtown employers.
“Like every other employer, I would assess which functions and services are effective and efficient through remote work, in whole or in part, and which ones need an in-person presence to best serve residents,” Brough said.
She emphasized that workers like firefighters and 911 dispatchers never went remote.
“It is important to recognize there are thousands of city employees who have never worked from home despite a pandemic,” Brough said.
Lisa Calderón: The head of Emerge Colorado, which recruits Democratic women to run for office, said one of her first priorities would be “to hear from city employees across agencies, including about the work-from-home policy.
“We need to increase city worker morale, which has suffered under the past two administrations by providing flexible work options while also improving customer service at all entry points,” Calderón said.
But she also suggested the city’s offices shouldn’t necessarily be concentrated downtown.
“By decentralizing City Hall to embed representatives into neighborhood spaces where people naturally congregate, including downtown residents, we can both support our workforce — whether in the field, office or home — while maintaining a robust presence in serving Denver residents across our city.”
Chris Hansen: The state senator said he would be “committed to delivering high-quality city services and ensuring tight coordination between departments, addressing backlogs, and creating opportunities for collaboration.”
“If that means workers need to be in a healthy and safe office for more than three days per week, then Chris will work with them to accomplish that,” he said through a spokeswoman.
Trinidad Rodriguez: The longtime finance executive said he would “revisit” the current work-from-home policy.
“This also means working to expand access to wellness, exercise, child care, and collaborative and interactive work spaces,” Rodriguez said. “My plan also prioritizes cleaning up downtown and restoring public safety. If we’re going to create vibrancy in downtown, we need to bring our workers back.”
Andy Rougeot: The owner of a self-storage maintenance business was the only person to directly say he’d make city employees “return to full-time, in-person work.” In a direct email, he said he’d also enforce the camping ban on the books and add 400 police officers.
Terrance Roberts: The anti-gang activist was the only person to say he’d make many employees fully remote.
“I have worked remotely and I understand the benefits of having the flexibility and the time and cost savings for employees,” Roberts said in a direct email. “There is no reason to force employees out of home and into the city, adding more resources and financial responsibility needed from them if they do not need to leave their home to perform quality work.”
