State Farm is changing the way its employees work permanently. The Bloomington-based insurer announced Friday that it will introduce hybrid roles where most people will be part-time in the office and part-time at home.
State Farm says about 40,000 people will be hybrids, starting in July. That is, approximately 69% of the company’s workforce. The remaining approximately 18,000 employees will always be in the office or work remotely. State Farm employs nearly 58,000 people nationwide.
“This new approach allows State Farm to operate as efficiently as possible for the benefit of our customers, while providing a more flexible work environment for our current and future employees,” the company said in a statement.
The implications for Bloomington-Normal are not yet clear, although the company said decisions will vary by business area and leaders will work with employees to determine how much time they spend at each location.
“Most State Farm employees will be hybrids, which means they will continue to be assigned to our facilities in Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix and Bloomington and will spend time working both at home and in the office. We still believe there are benefits. inherent in being able to collaborate and work within our facilities, ”the company said.
Since the pandemic began more than a year ago, most State Farm employees have worked from home and the implementation of the new model indicates a return to the office for most, at least in part, during the summer. .
“We will continually learn and adapt to this new way of working. The way we move forward will be influenced by everything we have learned and what best meets the needs of our customers, while accommodating the interests of the company and employees.” , he said. State Farm.
The company said the pandemic has accelerated many efforts already underway at State Farm, from new customer service solutions to digital technology.
“We are proud of how our workforce has adapted to new ways of working, even balancing personal challenges,” the company said.
In response to a WGLT question about how to maintain a sense of team and a positive workplace culture, the company responded, “We are an organization based on the power of relationships and over the past year we have learned to be connected working outside The way we move forward will be influenced by everything we have learned and what best meets the needs of our customers, while adapting to the interests of the company and employees, ”said the staff of public affairs.
State Farm is far from the only large company that has adopted a hybrid workplace model. Google, Amazon and Facebook have done it all, creating effects on commercial real estate in many cities.
“Business decisions continue to influence our real estate strategy and we will continue to learn and adapt to move forward,” State Farm said in response to WGLT’s consultation on building use in Bloomington-Normal.
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