☕️ Back to work

Is it patriotic to go back to work? [Morning Brew] [September 13, 2020]( [Light Roast]( TOGETHER WITH [Mint Mobile]( Good morning. The Brew? On a Sunday? What’s the occasion? Every now and then we send our exclusive Sunday newsletter, Light Roast, the one you are reading right now, to every subscriber. It’s typically reserved for readers with 3+ referrals, but honestly we’ve always been terrible at keeping secrets. If you want Light Roast in your inbox every week, all you need to do is share the Brew with three people.    Hope you enjoy. And go Eagles. —[Neal Freyman]( BIG DEAL [Call of Duty: Office Work]( [Uncle Sam poster with caption "I want you to work from the office"] Neal Freyman This summer, a gaggle of powerful NYC landlords [pushed]( the city's biggest bosses to bring their workers back into the office, Bloomberg wrote. One of their main arguments: It’s the “patriotic thing to do.” The pitch: Do you care about the American economy, Mr. CEO Sir? Look at all these Manhattan businesses failing because your workers aren’t going into the office. Consider the economic devastation when you let your employees work from home and make egg salad sandwiches instead of buying a $15 Sweetgreen bowl.   - “I’ve been using a little bit of guilt trip and a little bit of coaxing,” Jeff Blau told Bloomberg. Blau is the CEO of Related Companies, the developer of megaproject Hudson Yards on Manhattan’s west side. - “It’s as much of a civic obligation as anything else,” said RXR Realty’s Scott Rechler. His company controls 25.5 million square feet of commercial real estate. We’ve been here before 19 years ago this week, the U.S. was recovering from another tragedy that left NYC streets silent and its skyscrapers empty. On Sunday, September 16, 2001, Americans stared down their first full workweek following the terrorist attacks the previous Tuesday. Writing in the Washington Post that day, Mark Leibovich captured the mood in a [piece]( titled, “When 'Business As Usual' Becomes A Patriotic Imperative.” He describes how companies were trying to balance the fragile emotional state of their employees with the “obligation” to get back to work and prevent a recession. - In the article, you can hear themes that echo today—“grief, fear, and confusion,” “help the economy,” a yearning for “normalcy.” But if the similarities between September 2001 and September 2020 are obvious, the differences are more so. Going back to the office then was a perceived threat, more psychological than anything else. Now, going to the office (much like anytime you leave your house or gather with others) is an actual threat; it heightens your risk of contracting the coronavirus and spreading it to others. This, of course, significantly complicates the picture painted by the city’s real estate moguls. Others hoping to spur economic activity with “let’s get back to the office” messaging have run into similar issues. About two weeks ago, the UK government [postponed]( its big media campaign to nudge workers back into their cubicles after realizing the government's own safety policies prevented doing so effectively. Big picture: There’s truth to the NYC landlords’ argument. Low-wage service workers have been [hurt the most]( from the pandemic, precisely because higher-income folks (the typical office worker) hunkered down at home. More office workers working safely in their offices would indeed help the NYC economy rebound. But asking employers to treat their workers like U.S. infantry might not be effective. CEOs are capitalists above all; if they feel like their company is slacking with an entirely remote workforce, only then will they start repopulating the office. Bottom line: The future of NYC’s commercial real estate may hinge on how many execs share a mindset with Netflix’s Reed Hastings, who recently said working from home was a “[pure negative](.” �  �  �  mailto:?subject=Check%20out%20this%20story%20from%20Morning%20Brew!&body=New%20York%20Landlords%20Push%20Office%20Work%20With%20Patriotism%20Argument:%200A%0AWant%20more%20great%20content%3F%20Subscribe%20to%20Light%20Roast%E2%80%94Premium%20Sunday%20newsletter,%20exclusive%20for%20our%20top%20readers.%20 SPONSORED BY MINT MOBILE [Save a Bunch of Money From the Couch](#) [Mint Mobile]( Switching to [Mint Mobile’s new unlimited phone plan](—that’s just $30 a month—will most likely make you feel two things: 1.) Smart and 2.) Like you never need to leave the sofa again. Mint Mobile was the first company to sell premium wireless service online-only. They cut out the retail stores and overhead so they could deliver savings directly to you. Think we’re exaggerating about how much you can save? Getting unlimited data for 30 bucks a month is less than half of what the big carriers charge. In other words, [30 buckaroos gets you](: - Unlimited domestic talk, text, and data - Reliable coverage on the nation's largest 5G network - 5GB of mobile hotspot So while you won’t have unlimited money, getting unlimited data for only $30 bucks is basically just as good. And once again, no reason to get off the couch. Get yourself [Mint Mobile’s Unlimited Plan right here](. TOP 10 [Swedish landscape] Getty Images - An interview with the Swedish epidemiologist who believes coronavirus lockdowns are "using a hammer to kill a fly." ([Financial Times]() - The “falling man”: an image from 9/11 we’ll never forget and the story behind it. ([Esquire]() - Tyler Cowen interviews Matt Yglesias about his new book, One Billion Americans. ([Conversations With Tyler]() - A pandemic, a motel without power, and a potentially terrifying glimpse of Orlando’s future. ([Washington Post]() - Meet the stylish men and women of Brazzaville and Kinshasa. ([The Guardian]() - Then, meet a “coffin confessor” in Australia. ([ABC]() - How is Travis Scott’s collab with McDonald’s going, you ask? Here are answers. ([GQ]() - Exactly 50 years ago today, economist Milton Friedman famously wrote that corporate boards should focus only on maximizing profit. ([New York Times]() - An interesting look at the U.S. election from a variety of global perspectives. ([GZERO Media]() - Dispatch from an orange hellscape. ([LA Times]() MAIL BAG Question from Joyelle in Virginia: What do you miss doing the most since the COVID-19 restrictions? Neal’s answer: I’m not sure if it’s what I miss doing the most during the pandemic, but the one thing that really shocked me recently was hearing live music. Like, actual human beings producing soundwaves via musical instruments. I didn’t realize how long it had been since I heard that sound—all the music I’ve listened to these past six months has been recorded. Live music is so beautifully imperfect. It also made me think of my last “real” event before the pandemic gained steam, which was an Allman Brothers 50th anniversary concert at Madison Square Garden on March 10 (it was a [face-melter](). I remember having this thought like, “uh...should I be doing this right now?” The next day the coronavirus was declared a global pandemic, and I haven't heard live music since. What do you miss the most? If you have another question you’d like to ask a Brew writer, [here’s your chance](. SHARE THE BREW It only takes 3 referrals to get Light Roast in your inbox every Sunday. Share [your unique link]( to get the soothing, weighted blanket of newsletters that’ll fight off your scaries and prepare you for the week ahead. [Click here to get free swag.]( Hit the button below to start sharing the Brew. [Click to Share]( Or copy & paste your referral link to others: [morningbrew.com/daily/r/?kid=4904f90a]( → Written by [@Neal_Freyman]( Was this email forwarded to you? Sign up [here](. WANT MORE BREW?  Retail newsletter → [Retail Brew](  Tech newsletter → [Emerging Tech Brew](  Marketing newsletter → [Marketing Brew](  Quarantine newsletter → [The Essentials](  Business podcast → [Business Casual]( [ADVERTISE]( // [CAREERS]( // [SHOP]( Update your email preferences or unsubscribe [here](. View our privacy policy [here](. Copyright ©2020 Morning Brew. All rights reserved. 40 Exchange Pl., Suite #300, New York, NY 10005