General Mills calls the bulk of its corporate workers back to the office
Add Axios as your preferred source to
see more of our stories on Google.
Illustration: Sarah Grillo/Axios
General Mills is joining a wave of companies calling their corporate workers back into the office.
Why it matters: The move is a major shakeup for employees of Golden Valley-based General Mills, who have been allowed to work from home for nearly five years.
How it works: The company confirmed to Axios that employees in the North American retail segment — which accounts for 63% of General Mills' revenue — are expected to be in the office Tuesday through Thursday.
- The new policy begins Feb. 17 and does not include remote employees who live outside of the Twin Cities.
What they're saying: Spokesperson Mollie Wulff told Axios in a statement that North American retail employees, "benefit from greater coordination on the best times to come together to enable collaboration and fast decision-making without losing flexibility."
What we're hearing: One employee told Axios that the new policy feels like a reversal of what the company has touted as its "Working with Heart" guidelines that are supposed to provide generous flexibility.
- The employee, who was granted anonymity for fear of retribution, also said the timing of the Jan. 14 announcement left parents scrambling to find before- and after-school care for their kids with just a month's notice.
- General Mills said it's offering employees access to Cariloop, a service that helps employees find care for their kids and pets.
The big picture: Return-to-office is picking up steam. In the second half of last year, the percentage of companies nationally requiring three days per week in office increased to 28% from 19%, according to the Flex Index report, which analyzes the state of flexible work.
- Last year, Minneapolis-based U.S. Bank began mandating employees back in the office three days a week and Maplewood-based 3M called managers back Tuesday through Thursday.
What we're watching: President Trump has ordered federal employees back into the office five days a week. It remains to be seen if the private sector will follow his lead.