Big Charlotte employers accelerate return to work plans, but look to add hybrid options

In uptown Charlotte, there are signs the center city is slowly regaining its lunch-hour liveliness, with more workers trickling in and out of glass office towers.

And with falling coronavirus case numbers and vaccines now widely available, a number of Charlotte’s larger companies have targeted this fall or earlier for a full-fledged return to the office.

That workspace will look different, however, depending on where people are employed. A number of big companies are offering hybrid options between working from home or the office.

The Observer recently asked several of those employers for their most up-to-date plans on returning to the office. Here’s what they said:

Ally Financial

Beginning in March, the company with about 2,100 employees in Charlotte held pilot programs preparing for a return to the office, with a small number of workers returning on a voluntary basis.

On July 6, voluntary re-entry will begin for over 1,000 employees across the country, the bank said. Ally plans to bring back the majority of its employees in September — with some changes.

After Labor Day, the majority of employees will return to the office with a hybrid schedule that includes some days working from home, the bank said, adding that flexibility would be an important piece of its return-to-work approach.

The bank is not mandating coronavirus vaccines for workers but is “strongly encouraging” employees to get vaccinated.

Bank of America

When asked about its return to work plans, Bank of America referred to an an interview CEO Brian Moynihan gave Bloomberg TV in June. He said that the bank’s return-to-office efforts are focused for now on fully vaccinated employees.

Moynihan added that the bank plans to have all of those employees back in the office by September.

“The view is after Labor Day, we will be able to operate fairly normally and then start to make provisions for the other teammates through the fall,” Moynihan told the network.

Bank of America has about 16,000 employees in Charlotte, its headquarters city.

Duke Energy

Duke Energy brought less than 100 office employees back to its uptown facilities in June, part of a plan to transition employees back to the office in phases.

The company plans to bring the majority of its office employees back to the office starting in September, timed to coincide with the school year, spokesman Neil Nissan told the Observer in an email.

The company has about 6,000 employees in the Charlotte area, with 27,500 total workers spread out over seven states, he said.

Most of the employees returning to offices will have a hybrid schedule that allows them to split time between working remotely and working in the office, he said.

Duke Energy is not requiring employees to get the COVID-19 vaccine, but is encouraging it. Employees have been offered incentives like health reward points as well as paid time off for getting the shots.

Grant Thornton

The Chicago based accounting firm Grant Thornton with 8,500 employees companywide, and about 400 in Charlotte, is not requiring employees to work in the office at all times.

“The future of work will be flexible and so will we,” said company spokesman Jon Rucket, adding that employees have the option to handle meetings or day-to-day tasks remotely when it is appropriate to do so.

The company has moved from its 56,000-square-foot space at Charlotte Plaza in uptown, where it had been for over three decades, and into Vantage South End ‘s west tower, anchored by LendingTree, the Observer previously reported. The new space covers 31,6000 square feet on the fifth floor.

Grant Thornton does not require proof of vaccination or testing, but “we encourage all of our professionals to get vaccinated — in consultation with their medical-care providers,” Rucket said.

LendingTree

The online loan marketplace held a “soft opening” of its new headquarters in South End on June 12, with about 75 employees returning to work.

The next, and first official phase of the company’s return to work plan, will begin July 12, the company said. All fully vaccinated employees who complete a mandatory health and safety training course will have the option to return to the office.

As some employees return to in-person work, LendingTree is encouraging them “to work wherever they are most productive and to meet with their managers to determine where that is — whether at home, in the office, or some other combination,” spokeswoman Megan Greuling told the Observer in an email.

Different departments may have “different needs and preferences on what is most effective,” she added.

Lowe’s

Lowe’s, based in Mooresville, told the Observer in March that employees at its headquarters would continue working remotely until at least July.

As of July 1, Lowe’s now plans to begin bringing back those workers in early October, spokeswoman Maureen Wallace said. In the coming weeks, Wallace said, Lowe’s plans to give its headquarters’ employees details about a “hybrid workforce,” mixing in office and telework.

Lowe’s follows the CDC’s COVID-19 guidance unless required differently by state or local requirements, Wallace said.

The home improvement company has more than 6,000 employees at its Mooresville headquarters.

Moore & Van Allen

Many of the Moore & Van Allen attorneys and staff are already back working in the uptown office at 100 N. Tryon St. The law office has 649 attorneys and staff members firm-wide, with 610 people in Charlotte.

The firm expects its employees will return on a regular basis after July 4. However, some employees will continue to telework on a full or partial basis depending on their work, firm spokeswoman Ashley Roseborough said.

“We are looking forward to being back together in person more often for important collaboration and mentoring, while preserving the work-life flexibility that our workforce appreciated during the past year,” Roseborough said.

Parker Poe

Parker Poe, a Charlotte-based business law firm with seven offices across the Southeast, moved its long-time office from Wells Fargo Three building into 86,000 square feet on three floors at Legacy Union tower at 620 S. Tryon St.

About half of the 200 lawyers and staff members have returned to the office as of June, said Kristen Leis, chief marketing and business development officer.

“We have asked our personnel to have a regular and consistent presence in our offices starting this summer,” Leis said. “This will help us to reconnect, build relationships and support our overall culture.”

Longer term, the plan is to maintain some flexibility to see what makes sense for employees and clients.

“It’s an important challenge and balance that we want to get right,” Leis said, “and that may take some time.”

There is no mask requirements for employees who are fully vaccinated, she said, and the company has no vaccination or COVID-19 testing requirements.

Red Ventures

The vast majority of Red Ventures’ 3,500 worldwide employees are still working remotely, Red Ventures Chief Operating Officer Tim Kullick said in a statement.

The internet marketing company hopes to reopen its Fort Mill, S.C., headquarters in August for employees on a voluntary basis. But no one will be required to return to the office through the end of the year.

COVID-19 vaccinations are encouraged but not required by the company, Kullick said. Roughly 1,400 Red Ventures employees are based in the Charlotte area.

“Since our founding 20 years ago, a cornerstone of RV’s culture has been rooted in in-office collaboration,” Kullick said in a statement. But Red Ventures expects to create a hybrid work environment for employees that offers opportunities for in-office work along with the freedom to work remotely when needed, he said.

“Over the course of this pandemic, Red Ventures employees around the world have shown us that they can be productive from anywhere,” he said.

Truist

The uptown-based bank with about 2,800 employees in the greater Charlotte area launched a phased return to on-site work beginning June 1, and plans to have the vast majority of employees back in the office by Oct. 1.

The bank closed on its purchase of the 46-story office building at 214 North Tryon St., formerly known as Hearst Tower, just weeks after the initial COVID outbreak last March.

In accordance with CDC guidelines, the bank said, fully vaccinated individuals are not required to wear masks in Truist facilities and branches.

Wells Fargo

Wells Fargo is targeting Labor Day for a return to “a more normal operating model,” the bank said in a statement.

The San Francisco-based bank is still working to define what exactly that will look like.

“We believe most of us benefit by being physically together, but we also appreciate that flexibility is important and we are not taking a one-size-fits-all approach,” the bank said.

Wells Fargo will not be mandating vaccines for its but is encouraging workers to get vaccinated. The company is one of the largest employers in Charlotte, with more than 27,000 employees in the area.

City and county workers

Roughly 25% of the city of Charlotte’s 8,000 employees have been working remotely during the pandemic, city spokesman Cory Burkath told the Observer in an email.

Working remotely isn’t an option for some city employees, like first responders, solid waste services staff and aviation workers.

The city is in the midst of finalizing a timeline for bringing remote staff back to the office, Burkath said. Some of those employees will likely begin to re-enter city buildings starting in mid-July.

Meanwhile, Mecklenburg County recently announced it was reopening most in-person county services starting July 1.

Any remaining employees working remotely will return to the office in August, county spokeswoman Rebecca Carter said in a statement.

The county does not require employees to get COVID-19 vaccinations, but it is strongly recommended. Unvaccinated employees will be required to wear masks in the workplace, according to the county.

Walk-in services reopening to the public include the Mecklenburg County Board of Elections, Public Health, Park & Recreation and the Department of Social Services, among other agencies. Appointments are required at the Office of the Tax Collector.

And the Government Center in uptown reopened to the public in early June on a limited basis to attend meetings in-person for the Charlotte City Council and the Mecklenburg Board of County Commissioners.

This story was originally published July 6, 2021 at 6:30 AM with the headline "Big Charlotte employers accelerate return to work plans, but look to add hybrid options."