Essential... or Not

Photocredit: Deutsch Photography

At 7 pm every night, New Yorkers are literally hanging out of their windows and clapping and banging pots and pans to cheer on and thank our essential workers. Since the onset of the Covid-19 ‘shelter in place’ order, #ClapBecauseWeCare has become a highlight for many of us in New York City. Which brings us to the question, what residential building workers are considered essential?

According to Empire State Development, building maintenance staff was immediately deemed essential. This includes, but is not limited to doormen, superintendents, resident managers, handymen and porters.

Many of the outside professionals such as contractors, exterminators, boiler- and elevator mechanics fall into a grey area where they are limited to performing work related to keeping the health and safety of residents intact. All non-essential construction was ordered to shut down contingent upon it being safe to shut down, unless the work is being completed by a single worker who is the sole worker on the job site.

There has been some back and forth when it comes to landscapers. Initially deemed essential, Governor Cuomo later changed some of their work to non-essential. This leaves landscapers also falling into that grey area where only maintenance and pest control is considered essential work. No cosmetic work is currently allowed.

Coop and condo boards should defer to the opinion and advice of counsel, but it appears that landscapers can at least weed and maintain all gardens and flowerbeds. Since landscapers are not allowed to perform cosmetic work, planting annuals and herbs will unfortunately have to wait.

Other professions indirectly related to building workers are real estate professionals and services. The Real Deal covered this topic and stated that “Guidance orders remote work, except where ‘legally necessary’.”

At The Folson Group, our goal is to help every coop and condo owner increase their property values while living in a building that is safer, more sustainable, and more affordable. Our FREE board policies and procedures checklist helps boards with their Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG)-related policies, fairness and treating everyone equally. Schedule a strategy session with us.