Can DC physically handle the RTO?

[Anonymous]

My company owns its building and we've gone mostly remote/telework since covid and will be staying that way. They've been trying to rent out a couple floors of our building so I expect they are happy that there may finally be a market for office space.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:There are literally bidding wars at high end office buildings in Manhattan right now.

Everyone there is back pretty much back. Guess what people make it work or they quit and get a job closer to home or find a rare remote job.

So, how long have you lived in DC if ever? Living close to work in manhattan is possible because of how the city was developed and zoned. Not so in DC. Federal buildings are largely in areas without housing.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course DC can handle it. Until the last few years, everyone went to the office 5 days a week. And, many private companies are not going back to 5 days a week. I know my law firm is staying at a recommended 3 days in office, although most people are back ~4. It will still be well below pre-pandemic levels. DC, metro included, will adjust, just like it adjusted down in the early days of the pandemic. 5 days in an office was the reality for many of us for decades of our working life. It is not impossible for people or for governments to handle this.

I have worked since 1995 and have never worked in an office 5 days a week. My corporate employer allowed telework. I started in the federal government in 2010 and my agency had telework back then. The maximum days I have worked in the office is three days a week. The flexibility allowed for less traffic. I can't imagine what traffic will be like with the end of federal telework.

Well, you are the odd man out. Telework in my agency didn't start until covid. And, yes, it has been abused. As a supervisor, I'm glad it's over.

I don’t want my employees back 5 days a week. 3 max. They work hard and burnout has been an issue—I don’t want that again. If letting them work from home 2-3 times a week keeps them happy, I’m glad to let them. Only piss poor managers can’t handle supervising teleworkers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course. This is silly. Those offices and buildings and parking garages were there way before 2020 when everyone went home. They didn't demolish them. Come on honey, just go to work.

Oh honey, I’ve been back at work and the garage is already full. Traffic already a problem. You are a clueless idiot if you think things are going to be fine.

[Anonymous]

No. Not all all. NOVA/DC/MD can't handle this. Especially since they're calling everyone back even people who were remote and teleworked before 2020. They're making people move back to the area too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Public transportation will get better as more people take it. The metro is already pretty good. The buses could be improved. It'll feel less sketchy the more commuters are on it and they can ramp up the frequency of buses if the demand is there.

not when no one pays and there's no penalty.

Exactly how many office-returning feds do you think will be jumping the turnstiles?

With RTO the number of paying customers will increase greatly while the number of fare-jumpers will stay the same. It will only be a good thing for Metro.

I don't know. Elon demonstrated with Twitter that 80% of tech employees are unnecessary. There may be quite a few more turnstile jumpers than you may think.

after laying off majority of employees at Twitter, it is doing just fine. Bloat is crazy in Fed.

lol twitter is not fine. It's barely solvent. Plus the product now sucks.

https://www.theverge.com/2025/1/24/24351317/elon-musk-x-twitter-bank-debt-stagnant-growth

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course DC can handle it. Until the last few years, everyone went to the office 5 days a week. And, many private companies are not going back to 5 days a week. I know my law firm is staying at a recommended 3 days in office, although most people are back ~4. It will still be well below pre-pandemic levels. DC, metro included, will adjust, just like it adjusted down in the early days of the pandemic. 5 days in an office was the reality for many of us for decades of our working life. It is not impossible for people or for governments to handle this.

I have worked since 1995 and have never worked in an office 5 days a week. My corporate employer allowed telework. I started in the federal government in 2010 and my agency had telework back then. The maximum days I have worked in the office is three days a week. The flexibility allowed for less traffic. I can't imagine what traffic will be like with the end of federal telework.

Well, you are the odd man out. Telework in my agency didn't start until covid. And, yes, it has been abused. As a supervisor, I'm glad it's over.

You are a bad supervisor.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course DC can handle it. Until the last few years, everyone went to the office 5 days a week. And, many private companies are not going back to 5 days a week. I know my law firm is staying at a recommended 3 days in office, although most people are back ~4. It will still be well below pre-pandemic levels. DC, metro included, will adjust, just like it adjusted down in the early days of the pandemic. 5 days in an office was the reality for many of us for decades of our working life. It is not impossible for people or for governments to handle this.

I have worked since 1995 and have never worked in an office 5 days a week. My corporate employer allowed telework. I started in the federal government in 2010 and my agency had telework back then. The maximum days I have worked in the office is three days a week. The flexibility allowed for less traffic. I can't imagine what traffic will be like with the end of federal telework.

Well, you are the odd man out. Telework in my agency didn't start until covid. And, yes, it has been abused. As a supervisor, I'm glad it's over.

You are a bad supervisor.

PP isn’t a supervisor and doesn’t work for the government

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:No. It’s never handled it. The commute was HELL. It doesn’t matter where you live, if you can’t walk to work, you are signing up for an hour long commute, minimum.

This.

Of course it matters where you live. I commute downtown and use Metro, the bus or my bike and it is never an hour. But I choose to live close in for this reason. The tradeoff is a small place which most of you couldn’t bear to live in.

.

Sure. Do you live with your family?

Yes. Spouse, kids, pets. The works. But you wouldn’t like it. It’s small. But that was my choice and I don’t complain that we don’t have a half acre out the back door or a jack and jill bathroom for the kids. You chose something different. Handle it.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course DC can handle it. Until the last few years, everyone went to the office 5 days a week. And, many private companies are not going back to 5 days a week. I know my law firm is staying at a recommended 3 days in office, although most people are back ~4. It will still be well below pre-pandemic levels. DC, metro included, will adjust, just like it adjusted down in the early days of the pandemic. 5 days in an office was the reality for many of us for decades of our working life. It is not impossible for people or for governments to handle this.

I have worked since 1995 and have never worked in an office 5 days a week. My corporate employer allowed telework. I started in the federal government in 2010 and my agency had telework back then. The maximum days I have worked in the office is three days a week. The flexibility allowed for less traffic. I can't imagine what traffic will be like with the end of federal telework.

Well, you are the odd man out. Telework in my agency didn't start until covid. And, yes, it has been abused. As a supervisor, I'm glad it's over.

I understand that I worked for a company that adopted telework earlier than most. I too am a supervisor and I have no problem managing my staff from wherever they work. The slackers are going to slack in the office too. Many have or will get RAs so if you think RTO means you don't have to step up and be a manager who can handle a hybrid team well, think again.

[Anonymous]

I commute from MD and the state just cut the number of commuter buses this summer. They're already half full so I am worried about not getting a seat heading home (can't get there super super early because...work hours).

[Anonymous]

Calm down! This is only for 4 years. The next administration will undo all of this and reinstate telework.

[Anonymous]

Don’t buy anything in DC. Don’t get lunch out, don’t pay for parking if you don’t have to, don’t stay for HH. It’s not our problem to prop up their economy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course DC can handle it. Until the last few years, everyone went to the office 5 days a week. And, many private companies are not going back to 5 days a week. I know my law firm is staying at a recommended 3 days in office, although most people are back ~4. It will still be well below pre-pandemic levels. DC, metro included, will adjust, just like it adjusted down in the early days of the pandemic. 5 days in an office was the reality for many of us for decades of our working life. It is not impossible for people or for governments to handle this.

I have worked since 1995 and have never worked in an office 5 days a week. My corporate employer allowed telework. I started in the federal government in 2010 and my agency had telework back then. The maximum days I have worked in the office is three days a week. The flexibility allowed for less traffic. I can't imagine what traffic will be like with the end of federal telework.

Well, you are the odd man out. Telework in my agency didn't start until covid. And, yes, it has been abused. As a supervisor, I'm glad it's over.

I understand that I worked for a company that adopted telework earlier than most. I too am a supervisor and I have no problem managing my staff from wherever they work. The slackers are going to slack in the office too. Many have or will get RAs so if you think RTO means you don't have to step up and be a manager who can handle a hybrid team well, think again.

What is an RA?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Of course DC can handle it. Until the last few years, everyone went to the office 5 days a week. And, many private companies are not going back to 5 days a week. I know my law firm is staying at a recommended 3 days in office, although most people are back ~4. It will still be well below pre-pandemic levels. DC, metro included, will adjust, just like it adjusted down in the early days of the pandemic. 5 days in an office was the reality for many of us for decades of our working life. It is not impossible for people or for governments to handle this.

This is patently untrue.