State Farm is constantly working on the work of its employees. The Bloomington-based insurer announced Friday that it is introducing hybrid roles where most people will be in the office part-time and at home part-time.
State Farm says that will be about 40,000 people from July. This is about 69% of the company. The remaining approximately 18,000 employees will be in the office or working remotely all the time. State Farm has nearly 58,000 people across the country.
“This new approach enables State Farm to work 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, though the company says decisions will vary by business area and leaders will work with employees to determine how much time they spend in each location.
“Most employees on the state farm will be hybrid, which means they will henceforth be assigned to our facilities in Atlanta, Dallas, Phoenix and Bloomington, and that they will spend time working at home and in the office. We still believe that there are inherent benefits to being able to work and work together in our facilities, ”the company said.
Since the pandemic began more than a year ago, most employees of the state farm have been working from home, and the implementation of the new model indicates a return to office for most, at least in part, during the summer.
“We will continuously learn and adapt to this new way of working. How we move forward will be influenced by everything we have learned and that best meets the needs of our customers, while at the same time meeting the interests of the business and employee, “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 staff members have adapted to new ways of working, even while balancing personal challenges,” the company said.
In response to a WGLT question on how to maintain a sense of team and positive workplace culture, the company replied: ‘We are an organization based on the power of relationships, and over the past year we have learned how to stay connected while working outside. How we move forward will be influenced by everything we have learned and that best meets the needs of our customers, while at the same time meeting the interests of the company and employee, “said public affairs staff.
State Farm is by far not the only large company to adopt a hybrid workplace model. Google, Amazon and Facebook did it all, resulting in ripple effects in many commercial real estate sectors.
“Business decisions continue to influence our real estate strategy, and we will continue to learn and adapt going forward,” State Farm said in response to WGLT’s query about the use of buildings in Bloomington-Normal.
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