I saw an old article from WWD from last spring. Wonder if they will share an update. Curious what fashion apparel brands are keeping their employees to WFH or have a flex schedule.
REI is the only apparel retailer that did confirm to stay WFH/Flex schedules.
I’m lucky to be at a startup with a very “modern” way of doing business, even before the pandemic. (everyone works on slack; unlimited vacation; smalll departments, etc). We’re committed to WFH until January 2022, with a skeleton product crew coming in 1-2x week. In 2022, we’ll shift to a flex schedule, being at the office no more than 3x/week. As we’re in design/product development, we’ll be able to do fittings, approvals, print & design meetings, etc in-person.
However, most of LA- from what I’ve heard- is chomping at the bit to get back in the office full time. Butts in seats mentality.
Yep, I’m at butts in seats kinda place.
Here in the Northeast all footwear brands that I know of are still remote though some few employees are going into to the office on an extremely limited basis—here and there for meetings at most. From what I’ve heard most brands are not planning on going back to full-time in the office (many already had some sort of flex time in place before the pandemic). Though a few companies have had tiered roll out plans for getting most back into the office, those keep being pushed out. A lot of people have left the city or even the state and plan on having the conversation with their boss about continuing to work remotely only when they absolutely must.
@ShoeLady I know that is what I want to know, will these apparel companies foster employees to work remotely and fly in to the work home base if business critical or give them the boot?
I am sensing that is why major apparel and footwear companies in the USA are quiet and not really saying anything “making an announcement” like Amazon or Twitter did. I know colleagues who have moved back close to family or in with their parents and left their job’s home base area. So technically these employees are working/remotely in another city and making it work, but who’s gonna corral them? or are companies really going to corral people back? really? also there is no way major fashion corporations companies compete to retain top talent if working remotely is an incentive and priority to some.
I think a lot of companies are playing coy, because they want to go back to the office mostly full time, but don’t want to say that.
My company- and I have heard of some others- are allowing people to continue working remote IF their job can be done completely remotely (ie: UX/UI engineers, etc- but not product development people). People who need to be at least at the office sometimes will still need to be ready and able to come back to the office on a hybrid basis. And-- they are not allowing employees to leave the state (so they don’t have to try to wrangle payroll/taxes in different states).
My feeling is that most companies will try to wrangle their employees back in…
StyleCareers will be sharing these survey results in Monday’s careerist newsletter; provided to The Schmatte members a few days early…