Initially, the COVID-19 pandemic forced retailers around the world to adopt remote working strategies. Now, as conversations about returning to in-office work begin, many organizations are devising plans where workers have greater flexibility in where they decide to work. But, as has been the case for the last 18 months, retail organizations will need to be prepared to pivot as Delta variant cases continue to rise.
Should Retailers Reconsider Bringing Their HQ Staff Back to Work?
With the recent rise in COVID-19 cases, Apple pushed back their headquarters’ expected return timeline from September to October. The growing number of cases of the Delta variant across the United States has prompted many organizations to rethink their back to in-office work plans. Apple is testing a “retail flex” work model, where associates can split their time between working in stores and remotely providing online sales, customer service, and tech support.
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Supporting Remote Workers with the Latest in Unified Communications Tech
Digital transformation has grown over the past year as the COVID-19 pandemic impacted organizations. As a result, there has been a rise in the use of virtual reality and next-generation collaboration tools. Tim Stone, Principal Consultant for Unified Communications and Mobility at Verizon, commented that over time “more and more capabilities started to come online from cloud providers, as well as virtual reality for training, along with AI-driven tools to refine remote collaboration. Then from there, we shifted to how do we sustain the usability of these tools in a secure way.”
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Wells Fargo Details Additional Plans for Pending Return to Office for Employees
Wells Fargo’s Chief Operating Officer, Scott Powell, outlined expectations for the bank’s return to work plans. Starting in September, “our schedules will mostly resemble our pre-pandemic working approach, with additional flexibility,” Powell said in a recent memo. The pandemic has initiated a conversation around increased remote working and changing the standard for workdays per week. The bank will be requiring a large number of employees to work a minimum of three days in the office.
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