Hartford’s largest employers are eyeing a return to the office over the next few months.
Property and casualty insurer Travelers Cos. and CVS Health, the Rhode Island-based parent company of Hartford health insurer Aetna, said they will bring back corporate employees on a larger scale starting March 14 and 15, respectively, as they move toward a hybrid working model.
“We will welcome employees back to our corporate offices starting March 15,” said Erin Shields Britt, CVS Health’s director of corporate communications. “Most corporate employees will spend two to three days each week at one of our office locations and work virtually on the other days as part of our new hybrid work format.”
A spokesperson for Travelers Cos., which has a major presence in downtown Hartford, said “While some have already started to come into the office on a voluntary basis, beginning March 14, employees will be returning on a broader scale with the option of a hybrid work arrangement. We’ll also be continuing to take into account the guidance from federal and state health officials to ensure the safety of all our employees.”
Meantime, a spokesperson for The Hartford said the company expects to meaningfully increase the number of employees returning to its offices April 4. Senior leaders will begin their return on March 21.
The new policies would presumably send more local corporate workers back into Hartford on a regular basis, a possible boon to the many city businesses, including restaurants, that have long relied on commuters and have struggled without them.
All three companies attempted to return corporate employees to their offices earlier, but those plans were derailed by the spread of the COVID-19 omicron variant.
More companies are expected to issue similar directives in the months to come as the omicron wave fades and public health precautions are once again eased.
