GM employees working remotely due to the pandemic will be required to return to the office at least three days a week starting later this year, the automaker confirmed Friday.
“The COVID-19 situation has improved dramatically,” said an internal message to employees first obtained by Automotive News and confirmed by GM on Friday, linking the change in GM’s Appropriate Work policy to progress against the pandemic.
“As the COVID-19 landscape dramatically improves and accelerates our transformation and rapid ramp-up, we’re evolving Work Accordingly to enable the best collaboration, enterprise mindset and impact. Starting later this year, employees moving to remote work some or all of the time during the pandemic will transition to a more regular personal work cycle and will now be expected to work on campus three days each week,” GM spokeswoman Maria Raynal said in an emailed statement Friday. “We are committed to maintaining flexibility to ensure our staff can meet their personal commitments and will share details with them in the coming weeks.”
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According to an article in Crain’s Detroit business, GM’s message to employees referred to the “senior management team,” listing CEO Mary Barra, President Mark Reuss and 12 other top executives. The message, which also cited a desire to encourage more cooperation moving forward, did not specify when the new policy would take effect.
On April 20, 2021, GM unveiled a new philosophy for the 113-year-old automaker that signals a culture shift called “Compatible Work.”
Work Accordingly has given many salaried workers the flexibility to work where they can do their work best. GM viewed it as a recruiting and retention tool because GM has greater access to talent by not requiring all of its employees to relocate or commute to Michigan.
GM’s plan to return to the new office couldn’t come soon enough for the Renaissance Center. The site of GM’s headquarters effectively became a ghost town when COVID-19 sent office workers packing for work from home. Among them: about 5,000 GM employees.
GM was unable to provide any figures on how many workers come to RenCen offices each day, as Working Appropriately means the number fluctuates daily.
Without them, it was very quiet. He was questioned about this in June What would happen to RenCen because of how empty it was plus GM owns part of the building.
Since the pandemic, RenCen has lost Deloitte LLP as a tenant, and Blue Cross Blue Shield has moved about 50 of its 2,000 employees to a smaller office in Detroit.
Free Press staff writer Jamie Lareau contributed.
Free Press staff writer JC Reindl contributed.
