In this week's Careers Newsletter, read BoF senior correspondent Sheena Butler-Young's latest: Should Fashion Brands Still Make Employees Move for a Job?
When Kimberly Minor accepted a role as vice president at Bath & Body Works in 2016, it came with an unexpected catch: she had to sell her home in New Jersey and buy a new one near the company's Columbus, Ohio headquarters.
It was a dream job, but the thought of uprooting her husband and two children was daunting. Ultimately it proved to be the right move: Minor bought a house in Ohio, where she and her family live to this day, even though she left Bath & Body Works in 2018.
"It just came down to this house," said Minor. "There was no budging."
Requiring a new recruit to buy a house is rare (Bath & Body Works declined to comment on Minor's hiring, noting it has changed management since spinning off from L Brands in 2021). But lower stakes push-and-pulls over where employees should live and work are constantly playing out across the corporate world.
Last month, Foot Locker announced it would move its headquarters from New York to St. Petersburg, Florida, but isn't requiring Manhattan staffers to relocate. The North Face recently posted a want ad for a creative director who must live in Denver.
The question of location has only become more fraught as hybrid working has gone mainstream. While many companies have settled on a three days in, two days out policy, some companies are unwinding work-from-anywhere arrangements adopted during the pandemic. Last month, Amazon announced corporate staff would return to the office five days a week. In June, Patagonia told 90 remote customer service staff they would need to relocate to one of seven metropolitan areas near a Patagonia "hub" or lose their jobs. Similarly, in May, Walmart asked remote US employees to relocate to regional headquarters in Arkansas, California and New Jersey. In February, UK-based fast fashion brand Asos also recalled its remote teams.
→ READ MORE
No comments:
Post a Comment