Minneapolis mayor: Remote work turns you into 'a loser'

Touting the benefits of downtown Minneapolis, Mayor Jacob Frey took a swipe at remote work.

"I don't know if you saw this study the other day, what this study clearly showed... is that when people who have the ability to come downtown but don't. When they stay home, sitting on their couch with their nasty cat blanket, fiddling on their laptop. If they do that for a few months, you become a loser. It's a study. We're not losers, are we?"

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[franknorth]

Parents that could save 10’s of thousands in daycare for their children by staying home and working are “losers”?

That’s an incredibly privileged and ignorant position.

[flakyfree]

Crime is probably down because there’s nobody to target. I won’t go downtown to work if I can help it. I won’t dine downtown if I’m forced to work in the office. If there’s anything we learned from the lockdown it’s that there’s no reason to commute.

[catman]

I highly doubt that crime is down in Minneapolis. Arrests are probably down because we have fewer cops.

[katiekade]

The lukewarm response from the audience says it all…

[KimDW]

Conduct unbecoming of a mayor. His behavior and comments are more like that of a schoolyard bully than a leader. He’s an embarrassment

[taylorhanson]

There are three reasons to bring people back to the office. 1. It's more control over employees. 2. To appease the people who collect rent from their office buildings. 3. Promoting "company culture."

Here's what people gain with the remote working option.
1. Less wear and tear on their vehicle(Less stress of expensive maintenance.)
2. Fewer cars on the road (less infrastructure strain and pollution.)
3. Employees save mental and physical energy by not having to commute( more direct energy for the job itself.)
4. Hundreds of dollars of weekly childcare costs.
5. Improved mental health by giving back time to the employees (work-life balance.)
6. Reduced accidents and fewer deaths as a result.
7. Employers save money by not having to rent out or purchase buildings.
8. Employers shift expenses onto the employees, such as internet or electricity use.
9. More money in the pocket by not having to fill up a gas tank.

There are far more, but these are just off the top of my head.

[tinamdobson]

He needs to seriously do his research over the last decade. Remote workers are more productive. The only reason he is saying this is because he wants employees in the office to rebuild downtown real estate. But the statistics, both nationwide and worldwide, do not bear out his falsehood. The fact that big business wants to bring back RTO is ONLY about greed, real estate and not caring about employees. He keeps talking about being cutting edge, but RTO is anything BUT cutting edge.

Anyone can publish a "study", but the most reputable, long-term studies contradict everything in his "paid for by companies who want people back in offices" study.

[vpunk]

What?
Edit (2 days later): Seriously now: when I saw the video for the first time, I was drunk coming from a bar. Since then. I've watched it more times sober and it still doesn't make sense. What was that speech about? What's the point he's trying to make? Was this just supposed to be a commercial for Downtown? But then why is he insulting his potential audience. None of this really makes any sense.

[danlowe]

He's like a dishonest Joel Osteen.

[kalianderson]

I moved from downtown Minneapolis to a small town in northern MN so my fiancé could pursue a public defender position with this government. I now work 100% remote and since moving from the city, I’ve lost 50 lbs, my mental health is better, I’m much happier. Am I a loser now?

[ponchomom]

Saw this on the work reform Reddit. You guys need a new mayor.

[suzanneelliott]

I live in the Twin cities and I avoid downtown Minneapolis like the plague because there’s no cops….it’s dangerous which is his fault. No…just no!

[lesliestandifer]

Anyone want to hear the truth…Hedge Funds and Corporations are losing their asses on commercial office property. A majority of them are worth less than half of what they were previously.

[brentroelofs]

Wow. Not cool Mayor Frey. I’ll never work 100% of the time in an office. A loser? I am more productive now than ever. Hahaha.

[princessmona]

Mr. Mayor, why not let's start by asking for the Minneapolis downtown Skyway system to be open on the weekends again?

As a Minneapolis resident myself, I remember this being the case before the pandemic. Downtown traffic was impacted since everyone shut their Skyway's doors on the weekends, when that would've been the only time some residents can be out and about in the city.

[eniak]

I love how these politicians think they can make a speech to a large audience and make brash comments not thinking that it might go viral….

[danlowe]

I missed his 'It's only bricks and mortar' part. He shut down the businesses in Minneapolis and wonders where they went? He demanded remote work and now calls those at home 'losers'? He still has city workers at home (nearly four years later) but encourages businesses to bring workers into the office? He closed schools for two years and now wonders why juvenile crime numbers are crazy. He called police officers murderers and is now in charge of them (no knock or otherwise). He shut down bars and restaurants in an attempt to control violence that HE created and now wants to recoup the lost sales tax revenue with red-light and speed cameras via the legislature.
His stage was in the round simply to match how he speaks in circles.

[Huminator]

Here's a new idea for your table Jacob. You helped ruin a city. Now live in it and work in it if you want. Don't tell anyone else what to do.

[Theyangsterr]

Cool to dream big, but gotta take care of the elephant in the room. That's the issue on crime and the street thugs. People want to feel safe above everything else.

[XP-ntiy]

In a sane word, Frey wouldn't have been able to show his face in this state after 2020. It's mind boggling that even one person would still support him.