New York Times Puts Return to Office on Hold For Staff Amid NYC Covid-19 Spike

Daniel Slim/Getty Images

The New York Times announced on Wednesday that the paper would delay its scheduled June 6 return to the office until further notice due to the rising Covid-19 cases in New York City.

“Based on the city’s guidance and the advice of our health experts, we are pausing the start of our Expected Phase of return to office until conditions improve,” wrote Jacqueline Welch, Chief Human Resources Officer, in a memo.

The Times planned to have its full staff return to the office on June 6 a few days a week, a date which had previously been moved back as well.

In September 2021, CNN’s Oliver Darcy reported the Times was initially aiming to get its offices back up and running in the first quarter of 2022. “The New York Times is targeting the first quarter of 2022 to fully reopen its office, Chief Human Resources Officer Jacqueline Welch tells employees in a memo,” Darcy wrote on Twitter.

The New York Times is targeting the first quarter of 2022 to fully reopen its office, Chief Human Resources Officer Jacqueline Welch tells employees in a memo.

— Oliver Darcy (@oliverdarcy) September 22, 2021

The Times’ announcement coincided with New York City raising its Covid-19 alert level to “High” on Tuesday as daily cases in the U.S. have ticked up to close to 100,000 per day, an increase from 73,000 new cases daily average last week.

The Times also encouraged all its employees to wear masks in public spaces while in its offices, including elevators, meeting rooms, and restrooms.

On Tuesday, Apple also suspended its policy of having employees work from the office at least three days a week due to rising Covid-19 cases across the country. “Apple said in a note to employees on Tuesday that it would proceed with a pilot program to bring some workers back to the office twice a week in the weeks ahead,” according to reports. Apple concluded, however, that “anyone in that program who felt ‘uncomfortable coming into the office’ would have the ‘option to work remotely.'”

New: The Mediaite One-Sheet "Newsletter of Newsletters"
Your daily summary and analysis of what the many, many media newsletters are saying and reporting. Subscribe now!