These big employers hope to return to offices this year as Charlotte gets vaccinated
This story was updated on March 30 to reflect additional information from Wells Fargo on its return-to-work plans.
A year into the COVID-19 pandemic, the streets of uptown Charlotte and the high-rises are still empty. Despite the ramped-up vaccination efforts, it is likely to stay that way for at least several more months.
Companies are largely holding off on bringing workers back to the office en masse, although many hope to start bringing people back this year. Others are coordinating return-to-office plans with the school year.
And some firms, like Grant Thornton, are rethinking their office footprints entirely as remote work becomes more prevalent.
The tax, audit and advisory firm is moving out of an uptown tower into a smaller space in one of two towers being developed by The Spectrum Companies in South End.
The Observer recently asked some of Charlotte’s largest employers when they will bring employees back to work in person. Here’s what they said.
Red Ventures
The vast majority of Red Ventures’ 3,500 employees worldwide have worked remotely for the last year, said spokeswoman Ami Shukla. While employees were given the option to work remotely through the end of 2021, Shukla said the marketing and technology company hopes to open its offices this year when it is safe to do so.
That will allow employees who want to return to work to do that, Shukla said.
The Indian Land, S.C.-based company will not mandate vaccinations, she said, but it is encouraging employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine. Red Ventures does not expect to differentiate between the vaccinated and non-vaccinated in return to work plans, Shukla added.
The corporation will seek input from its workers on how and when to reopen.
LendingTree
Employees at online loan marketplace LendingTree are all working remotely, spokeswoman Megan Greuling said.
The company expects to start office re-entry for its employees at the end of the current school year at the earliest, according to a memo sent to employees last month. The company employs roughly 550 people in the Charlotte area.
The firm will monitor COVID-19 case numbers before making any decision to bring workers back, according to the memo. It is strongly encouraging employees to get the vaccine, but has not made any final decisions on mandates or incentive programs, Greuling said.
While LendingTree’s new headquarters in South End will be ready at the end of the first quarter or early second quarter of this year, employees will not occupy the space until a later date in accordance with the firm’s reentry policies.
City and county workers
The city of Charlotte has around 1,900 employees working remotely out of a total of 7,874.
Each department has revised its plans to bring employees back to the office and that will be compiled and communicated out over the next few months, said city spokesman Cory Burkarth.
Those return-to-work plans will not differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated workers, he said.
The city will not mandate that employees receive the vaccine, but is allowing employees to take time to get the vaccine during work without using any accrued hours.
Mecklenburg County, which employs 6,000 people, has some employees working remotely, but spokeswoman Tanisha Anderson said they are not tracking the number.
She said the county is in the first stage of its reopening plan, which allows those who are working from home to continue doing so. That phase lasts until June 1, at which point the county will evaluate the situation.
Anderson said the county is still reviewing whether to mandate or offer incentives for the vaccine.
Lowe’s
Lowe’s office employees will continue to work remotely until at least July, said spokeswoman Maureen Wallace. She said the Mooresville-based home improvement retailer will monitor the landscape and adjust that schedule as needed.
The company employs approximately 11,000 people at its corporate offices. More than 7,000 of those workers are in the Charlotte area.
Wallace said the company is not yet sharing its vaccination plans publicly as it evaluates options to support front-line associates.
Duke Energy
Duke Energy’s roughly 5,400 remote employees will return to the uptown Charlotte area office in phases. Some will come back starting in June, according to the utility’s spokesman, Neil Nissan. Duke’s goal is to return the majority of the workers back to the office by September to coincide with the school year.
The Charlotte-based utility will not require employees to vaccinate. Instead, it will strongly encourage it, Nissan said.
Duke Energy will award “health reward points” to employees who get vaccinated, which can reduce the cost of employees’ insurance. Employees also get the points for not smoking or for getting an annual physical.
Wells Fargo
In a memo to employees on March 30, Wells Fargo said people working remotely will continue to do so until Sept. 6. The bank said it has been encouraged by vaccine ability and the goal is to return to a “more normal operating model” in September.
In the memo, CEO Charlie Scharf and Chief Operating Officer Scott Powell said they are still working to determine what that “more normal” model looks like.
Currently, 200,000 of the bank’s over 260,000 workers are remote.
“While we understand that choosing to be vaccinated is a personal decision, we encourage you to consider getting the vaccine when it’s available to you,” said David Galloreese, Wells Fargo’s HR chief, in a companywide memo.
The bank is offering up to eight hours of paid time off to take the vaccine.
Wells Fargo employs 27,000 in the Charlotte area, a legacy of its 2008 purchase of Wachovia.
Bank of America
Charlotte-based Bank of America will also offer its employees up to four hours off for each dose of the coronavirus vaccine.
The bank has 85% of its over 210,000 workers remote. While it has had pilot programs to bring some employees back to the office, a full return is still not scheduled.
Once “appropriate,” Bank of America employees will return to the office in phases based on their roles and local guidelines, according to spokesman Mark Pipitone.
Truist
Truist, the Charlotte-based combination of BB&T and SunTrust, will start to transition to on-site work starting June 1 in a phased approach. About half of the bank’s 55,000 workers are remote.
The bank employs 2,800 in the Charlotte area.
Workers will be allowed to take paid time off to get the vaccine, according to spokesman Kyle Tarrance. Truist believes taking the vaccine is a personal decision, he said, but the bank is pitching its benefits with an education campaign and medical experts.
Barings
At Barings, the Charlotte-based asset manager, 80% of the workforce is still remote. Its return-to-office plan will be phased for many of its global offices, except for Asia Pacific which have already returned to the office. The company employs 1,700 worldwide and 676 in Charlotte.
The first phase will be voluntary, according to spokeswoman Cheryl Krauss. Barings does not plan to mandate that its employees vaccinate, Krauss said.
This story was originally published March 29, 2021 at 6:30 AM with the headline "These big employers hope to return to offices this year as Charlotte gets vaccinated."
