Macy’s Inc has announced a fresh directive to its corporate staff: adhere to a twice-weekly office attendance or face penalties. The shopping centre-centric retailer communicated via email to the blended workforce that the updated policy would be in force from the 13th of May, as per sources within the company. The updated approach will impact a third of Macy’s corporate employees, including those in merchandise, marketing, customer service and digital divisions, as confirmed by Chris Grams, the company’s spokesperson.
The firm has extended a three-month allowance for staff to relocate back to their New York City base. Should they fail to do so within this period, they may face repercussions, potentially leading to dismissal. This is a shift from Macy’s previous flexible telecommuting policy, which lacked uniformity across teams.
This manoeuvre by Macy’s is indicative of a wider trend across business corporations in the USA to increase office presence. Supporters of a return to office believe that close quarter collaboration and mentorship are more fruitful, as opposed to those who claim that flexible working hours boost employee morale.
The majority of professional workplaces have opted for a blend of the two, with hybrid models demanding employees work on-site a few days weekly. The most frequent arrangement is three days a week, followed by two, according to data from Scoop Technologies, who monitor the policies of over 8000 companies.
This directive follows roughly three months after Tony Spring took on the CEO role. Like many other retailers located in shopping malls, Macy’s has found it challenging to navigate the shift in long-term consumer behaviour towards online shopping.