Is corporate America beginning to lose its patience with remote work?
The answer at this point is unclear, but at least one major central Connecticut employer wants more people in the office.
David Cordani, chairman and CEO of Bloomfield-based health insurer The Cigna Group, sent a companywide email last month outlining plans to require more employees to work in the office the majority of time, with flexibility to work remotely for the balance of their work time.
The change will begin in September and comes as 90% of Cigna’s employees currently work remotely full-time, or nearly full-time, according to Cordani.
“We believe we need to bring that percentage lower because a thriving office environment needs more of our co-workers working together in our sites, similar to what we experience in other parts of our lives,” Cordani wrote in the email. “ Ultimately, our goal is a workforce model where those working in a site are generally more in line with pre-pandemic levels.”
In a statement, a spokesperson said Cigna sees “significant benefits to in-person work – fostering collaboration, inclusion, and strengthening our culture – which are necessary to support our growth and impact.”
Cordani said the larger-scale return to the office will be undertaken in a phased approach and some employees will continue to work remotely 100% of the time.
“We are taking this approach after careful evaluation of our business needs and survey data, as well as the latest research, market conditions, and competitor practices,” Cordani said. “In fact, many of our clients and partners have already transitioned their models. We also know that they are experiencing challenges given fast-changing market dynamics, and are counting on us to help them. They need us to evolve our cadence of innovation, and change has to accelerate in order for us to continue to succeed. Innovation and brainstorming are most effective in person – to easily build on each other’s ideas, problem-solve, and ideate.”
Cigna’s headquarters is at 900 Cottage Grove Road in Bloomfield. The company employs several thousand workers in the state.
