Everyone has their own feelings on how well remote work fits for them. But many would agree that workers should at least have the option.

However, a lot of company managers don’t agree and want workers back in the office. But what if the workers say no?

This is playing out locally in Philadelphia, which was in the middle of an upswing in Center City prior to the start of the lockdown. That slowed down once most people were no longer in the offices.

However, as noted by Joel L. Naroff for the Philadelphia Inquirer, now it is looking more like Center City needs the workers for its benefit rather than the other way around. And it has created a landscape where millennials could dramatically shift what the region looks like.

Some genuinely do believe working alongside others physically is a dynamic that can’t be replicated virtually. Jamie Dimon, the CEO of JPMorgan Chase, shared his thoughts on remote work and that it “doesn’t work for people who want to hustle, doesn’t work for culture, doesn’t work for idea generation.”

He went on to dismiss the advantages of remote work, saying, “Everyone is going to be happy with [being back in the office], and yes, the commute, you know people don’t like commuting, but so what.”

However, not all business leaders are so disinterested in the employee’s feelings on this matter. Some fully believe that virtual is a better future and eagerly want to embrace it.

The problem is, the power is more in the worker’s hands on this one. Workers will apply for whatever jobs best suit their needs, and the job environment will react to that. So despite what the bosses want, they have to wait and see.

It is too early to say with certainty what direction Center City will ultimately swing in. Millennials are in the mid-points of their careers now, affording them a lot of leverage.

If a majority of them say they are ready to transition over to a remote phase, Center City will not disappear. But Philadelphia’s hub could wind up finding its office space repurposed to the new needs of the generation.

For more on the impact remote work could have on Philadelphia’s economy, read the Philadelphia Inquirer piece here.

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