We have been operating remotely for nearly three months, and while there have been many benefits and no issues with productivity, we miss seeing the faces of our employees and the value that’s created when we work together. We miss seeing their smiles in person.

Beginning June 15th, employees will start transitioning back to the office using a safe approach that will allow us to adhere to CDC guidelines for social distancing throughout our new corporate office. This approach is easily adaptable to any organization and ensures the safety and protection of employees and customers.

Easing the Transition

Rather than an abrupt, back-to-the-office transition, we’ve created a rotational shift. Employees are organized into two groups. The first group will return on June 15th to start working from the office Monday through Thursday. The second group will be working remotely during this time. The following week, the second group will return to the office Monday through Thursday while the first group works remotely. All employees will work remotely every Friday to give us time to perform a deep clean and sanitization of the building before the next group comes in.

We've invested in all new equipment for our employees (monitors, keyboards, mouse, and cabling) so they can easily transition between the office and remote work. This will allow employees to save time each week by not having to bring their equipment back and forth.

Social Distancing That Works

There will be some new protocols in place. We will have limitations on the number of riders per elevator, one-way staircases, fewer seats in conference rooms, and we’ll be asking everyone to wear masks in any common areas (break rooms, dining room, restrooms, and hallways included). Additionally, Microsoft Teams is here to stay. Even while we are in the office, we will be asking employees to still conduct their meetings virtually through this platform. 

Protecting Our Family

We value every employee and want to make sure we do our best to disinfect areas on a regular basis, prevent large group gatherings, and take advantage of our outdoor space and walking trails. We’re keeping our fitness center and yoga studio closed for the time being. Our facilities team has created a new plan to ensure that the building will be cleaned and sanitized more often. They have also gone through specific training on how to best disinfect the building from germs specific to COVID-19. 

We will also have new interior signage to remind remind employees of CDC guidelines for handwashing and other precautions to take to prevent the spread of COVID 19.

We value the community and culture of our company and look forward to continuing to serve our customers, agents, and partners with no business interruption as we transition back into the office. We don't see ourselves with a large remote workforce anytime soon, but we do recognize the value we’ve gained from working remotely. We’ve become a more resilient organization with greater flexibility and the ability to respond quickly to crises.