Capital One wants workers back in the office

After more than three years of optional in-person work, Capital One is pushing to get its workforce back in the office, at least part of the time.

Why it matters: Capital One employs around 13,000 people in the Richmond area, making it the region's second-largest employer, according to the Greater Richmond Partnership, the region's economic development group.

Driving the news: The financial services company will require employees to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday beginning May 2, per the Richmond Times-Dispatch.

In-person work on those days has been "strongly" encouraged by Capital One under its pandemic-inspired hybrid work policy since the Northern Virginia-based company reopened its offices in September.

• The policy made Mondays and Fridays remote days and Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays days when in-person was encouraged.

Between the lines: Apparently strong encouragement wasn't enough motivation to get the bulk of its roughly 52,000-person national workforce back into the office.

• There are not enough employees showing up for in-person work to make the experience enjoyable and collaboration effective for the ones who are, Capital One told Axios in a statement.

What they're saying: "We are further clarifying guidance to ask that all associates working in the hybrid model spend about half their time in person while continuing to keep Mondays and Fridays as enterprise wide virtual days," a Capital One spokesperson told Axios in a statement.

• It's unclear how much in-person time will be required under the new guidance or if the guidance will be enforced, and Capital One did not respond to a request for clarification.

Be smart: Locally, Capital One employees largely work out of the 11 buildings that make its West Creek campus in Goochland, but the company also has an office in Innsbrook and two cafe bank branches.