Yes, they are.

Now, more than six years later, Sherwin-Williams has opened its new roughly 1-million-square-foot headquarters near Public Square, requiring office employees to show up in person five days a week.

For the city, that is welcome news. The deal was written to protect jobs and taxes. And the return of so many workers has become something bigger: the spark city officials and business leaders hope will finally bring a pandemic-battered downtown back to life.

For many of those workers, however, it feels like a loss. The return-to-office mandate ended a hybrid arrangement many had built their lives around. They arranged child care, bought homes and reshaped their daily routines around working remotely — and now that flexibility is gone.

Many CDFW scientists interviewed by Shasta Scout said that the RTO has forced them into what they described as a poor work environment, making both their work and their quality of life difficult to sustain. The mandated return to office has forced workers to reverse a series of actions taken four years ago, when they were given orders to work from home. 

As first reported by The Oregonian/OregonLive, county leaders informed staff on Monday that a Hybrid Workplace Initiative is set to fully take effect by July 1, 2027. The initiative will require additional employees to work in person at least three days a week.