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Mayor London Breed and Business Leaders Announce Commitment to San Francisco

Major businesses join City in committing to return to work plans starting in the month of March

Mayor London N. Breed and business leaders announced on March 3rd plans to commit to returning to in-person work in San Francisco throughout the month of March. Mayor Breed has worked with the San Francisco Chamber of Commerce and business leaders on implementing return to in-person work policies through the “Welcome Back to SF” pledge as the Omicron surge subsides.

As one of the highest vaccinated cities in the country, San Francisco is poised to welcome workers back to the office. The Omicron surge tested and proved the efficacy of vaccines—despite a peak case rate 6.5 times the peak of the largest previous surge in January 2021, San Francisco’s COVID mortality rate during the same period was less than half what it was in January 2021 and even lower amongst vaccinated individuals. After two years of primarily remote work policies by office-based industries, San Francisco’s office core, comprised of the Financial District, East Cut, Union Square, Yerba Buena, Civic Center, and Mission Bay neighborhoods, has not shown the same degree of economic recovery as that of other City neighborhoods. The decrease in the number of workers has had significant repercussions for the small businesses that cater to offices and their employees.

City and County of San Francisco workers, many of whom have been telecommuting since the start of the Omicron surge, are scheduled to return to the office in varied capacities beginning Monday, March 7. Joining the City in this commitment to implement policies to bring employees back to offices are companies including Bank of America, Blackrock, Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco, FibroGen, Gap, the Golden State Warriors, Google, HOK, Invitae, JP Morgan Chase, Kilroy, Mastercard, Meta, Microsoft, Orrick, Salesforce, the San Francisco Giants, the San Francisco Symphony, SPUR, Uber, United Airlines, University of California San Francisco, Visa, and Wells Fargo.

By pledging to Welcome Back to SF, each of these companies is committed to implementing return to in-person work policies in March. However, in the wake of widespread telecommute policies adopted during the pandemic, return to office policies may vary across companies. Regardless, the Welcome Back to SF pledge signifies a critical milestone in the resumption of economic activity and progression towards adopting long-term operating models that respond to the needs and considerations of individual businesses and their employees.

“By committing to San Francisco, these businesses and many more are investing in this City and what makes it special – the people who live and work here,” said Mayor Breed. “We are excited to welcome people back to downtown to work, to dine, and to experience the arts and culture that make this City special. This March is the start of a new beginning for this City, and I want to thank all the businesses and workers who are committed to supporting our city and our small businesses.”

“We cannot overstate how important workers returning to their offices is to our survival and ultimately to the richness of San Francisco,” said Denise Tran from Bun Mee. “We have been tightening our belts and doing the best we can over the last two years, but without workers filling our downtown, it has been difficult. We’ve missed the bustle, the laughter, and the energy of having a full house each day. We depend on each other and can’t wait to welcome the return of employees downtown.”

The City has also partnered with several downtown stakeholders, including Boston Properties at Embarcadero Center, East Cut Community Benefits District, the Ferry Building, Union Square Alliance, Transbay Joint Powers Authority, Westfield San Francisco Centre, and the Crossing at East Cut to curate a series of events spanning the last week of March as part of efforts to welcome workers back downtown. More details on programming will be announced soon.

Additionally, through a $12.2 million investment by the City, Welcome Ambassadors are stationed throughout San Francisco’s office core, including transit hubs and popular congregation points, to provide a welcoming atmosphere for returning office workers, residents, and tourists. Welcome Ambassadors also assist with street cleanliness, and maintenance. These Ambassadors supplement similar existing programs within each of the four Community Benefits Districts that serve San Francisco’s office core.